Editorial Adviser

The Committee

The Editorial Standards Committee is a sub-committee of the BBC Board, operating under delegated powers and is comprised of non-executive Board members and the Director-General.

The remit of the Editorial Standards Committee is as follows:

• Oversee, on behalf of the Board, the development and regular review of the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines, and assure the processes for compliance with them, particularly in relation to due impartiality and due accuracy
• Monitor, and challenge, on behalf of the Board, the level and management of editorial risk; providing assurance to the Board on management controls
• Monitor, and challenge, on behalf of the Board, compliance with the complaints framework and provide assurance to the Board on the effectiveness of this framework
• Review findings and directions from Ofcom with regard to editorial matters, and compliance with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

The BBC Board has decided that the Editorial Standards Committee would benefit from additional editorial advice from editorial experts with significant experience outside the BBC to provide an external perspective to the work of the Committee. In keeping with the recommendations of this and other reviews these roles have now been split to reflect two specific responsibilities: an editorial adviser specialising in editorial complaints and their handling, with an emphasis on audience focus; and an editorial adviser specialising in editorial and journalistic standards and impartiality.   

Both advisers should be able to demonstrate:

• A level of senior experience which carries weight and authority in media and journalism
• Knowledge of the UK’s public service broadcast and regulatory environment
• An ability to challenge and vigorously scrutinise in the public interest, the editorial output of the BBC, including delivery of the BBC’s impartiality obligations.

The Editorial Advisor – Complaints will be responsible for representing audiences and advocating for all complainants, ensuring that their concerns are listened to and that issues are addressed swiftly.

The candidate will be responsible for analysing complaints reporting from an external perspective, including assessing whether there are repeated concerns or themes, to help the Committee identify any potentially systemic issues.

The candidate should also be able to refer to best practice standards for editorial complaints handling including the approach to remedial action where complaints are upheld and the use and format of clarifications and corrections.

In addition to the above the candidate will have:

• Senior experience of media regulation and/or policy in the UK
• An ability to bring an objective, external perspective to the BBC’s complaints framework and complaints handling, centring the audience experience
• Experience of best practice standards in complaints handling would also be helpful.

The Editorial Advisor – Editorial Standards will be responsible for providing advice on the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards and their operational implementation, from an external perspective, to ensure that the BBC is in line with best practice standards in editorial compliance, and editorial risk management.

The candidate will have a good knowledge of the external regulatory and legal environment and be able to brief the Committee on how the decision-making in those areas can impact the BBC’s reporting and programme making.

The candidate will have experience of handling sensitive editorial issues, and how other broadcasters manage sensitive editorial content, both domestically and internationally.

The candidate will need to demonstrate: 

• Editorial responsibility at a senior level, including running editorial operations and/or senior experience in commissioning or production of media content in a regulated broadcast environment.

Candidates will need to be demonstrably independent of the BBC at the point of appointment. The criteria by which independence will be assessed will include whether a candidate:

• Has been an employee of the BBC, or BBC Group within the last five years;
• Has or has had within the last three years a material business relationship with the BBC either directly, or as a partner, shareholder, director or senior employee of a body that has such a relationship with the BBC;
• Has received or receives additional remuneration from the BBC apart from a Director’s fee or an appearance fee for media interviews; or has close family ties with any of the BBC’s advisers, directors or senior employees.

Once appointed the independent editorial advisers will be employed by the BBC for the purposes of providing advice to the Committee but must otherwise retain their independence (e.g. will not be able to have any additional employment or business relationship with the Corporation).

Meetings of the Committee

The majority of the Committee meetings will be held in London or via video conference.

Time Commitment

The time commitment will be approximately 18 days per year. This will include:

• Committee meetings and preparation for meetings. There are currently six formal meetings scheduled per year.
• Studying Committee papers and other written material and providing advice both orally and in the form of written reports.
• Ad-hoc meetings with members of BBC management, audiences and stakeholders.

Fees

The fees for external editorial advisers are set by the Board and are £15,000 p.a.

Term

Independent members will be appointed for a term of two years.