The BBC has been given a zero out of five rating for its handling of the Gary Lineker row by sports journalists who work for the corporation.
Analysis carried out by the National Union of Journalists found that 80 per cent of the 41 BBC Sport reporters who responded gave their bosses the lowest possible mark.
Insiders in the sport department were said to be frustrated over the handling of the row and were annoyed at the lack of leadership and communication, The Daily Mail reports.
There was said to be a “huge rift” in the team and staff were said to be furious that no one saw how the row would spiral.
Barbara Slater, the director of sport, was asked whether she would resign if the situation was repeated, and staff were said to be unimpressed with the suggestion the leadership team could not possibly have foreseen the fallout from the decision.
The head of Ofcom has also waded in on the saga.
She said the BBC needs to weigh freedom of expression with reputation for impartiality when reviewing its social media guidelines following the “difficult episode” with Lineker.
Dame Melanie Dawes said during a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee meeting: “It hasn’t been a great weekend for BBC Sport fans and I think we are all glad to see that, hopefully, the BBC is moving beyond this episode.
“But clearly an episode like this goes straight to the heart of that wider reputation beyond their news and current affairs coverage.
“I think they need to do what they’re doing, which is to look at those guidelines and see whether they’re still right in a world of increasing use of social media, and look again at what they ask of contributors, as well as their staff.”
She added: “I think it’s been a really difficult episode for the BBC and I hope they can find their way through it, it looks like they have agreed for the moment a way forward.”
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