WHERE, sigh exasperated BBC staffers, will this all end?
As the planet stands on the cusp of World War Three, BBC Breakfast is grimly facing a toxic, deeply unedifying coup de grace of its own.
Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast, which is facing a toxic, deeply unedifying coup de grace of its own[/caption]
Naga and Richard ‘Fredi’ Frediani are at loggerheads over their perceived styles of frontline leadership[/caption]
Yesterday Fredi’s friends came out swinging[/caption]
The two protagonists, Naga Munchetty and boss Richard ‘Fredi’ Frediani, are at loggerheads over their perceived styles of frontline leadership.
With respective camps now openly briefing against one another – yesterday Fredi’s friends came out swinging – the real problem, I’m told, stems from the cultural divide splitting the BBC; one person’s ‘banter’ is another’s bullying.
Whilst there are a legion of “old school” execs and personnel who don’t care how the job gets done, so long as it gets done – and that means ratings, awards and the best red sofa guests, which BBC Breakfast unquestionably secures – others, largely those under 35, are firmly of the “work/life balance brigade”.
“The bloody snowflakes”, as one insider huffs.
Indisputably, both Naga and Fredi are supremely talented journalists.
Whilst they may abhor one another, the irony is that they’re both brilliant at what they do – and united in their striving to get there.
Unfortunately others, often the most junior members of staff who prioritise personal wellbeing over BBC output, dislike their combative styles.
They rub people up the wrong way by simply going about their work in a way that doesn’t pander to those who refuse to check their work phones after 5pm.
The reality is we need leaders to lead, to command respect and hold a room. We don’t need hand-holding in the workplace.
The BBC is publicly funded. It absolutely must compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime in order to justify its very license fee paying existence.
The culture at US conglomerate Netflix is notoriously brutal. The turnover of staff is rapid, burnout rife, and the hours demanding.
But the pay is great and, as a result, they invariably recruit the cream of the television crop.
There is a reason, then, Netflix recently overtook BBC1 in the ratings for the first time.
I write this as someone coming from the notoriously cutthroat newspaper world, a place I was once called a c**t four times in one 30 minute morning conference.
Of course times change, and that would never happen now. And everyone needs to feel safe in the workplace – or be “seen” to parrot Gen Z.
But right now, unless the BBC’s internal investigation draws to a close soon, this toxic gulf rupturing the corporation is only going to get bigger.
The toxic gulf rupturing the corporation is only going to get bigger unless the BBC’s internal probe draws to a close soon[/caption]
