Complaint
The programme included an item on the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in which the presenter referred to “celebration” of the killing on the social media platform Bluesky. One listener complained that singling out Bluesky displayed right-wing bias by endorsing the frequent claims on the rival platform X that Bluesky is characterised by left-wing groupthink. Another listener complained that the presenter’s reference was inaccurate, as there had been no posts on Bluesky celebrating Mr Kirk’s death. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The presenter was not offering his own view of Bluesky but noting that it was cited by some on the right of US politics as evidence in favour of the view that it is the left that “demonises people…in a way that makes life dangerous for them”. The ECU saw no issue of impartiality arising from this factual observation. In relation to accuracy, the ECU was able to verify Newsweek’s report that “dozens of posts have appeared on Bluesky celebrating [ Mr Kirk’s] death”
Not upheld