if concerns about impartiality were prompted by the previousjobs held, there was another row over impartiality this week with social media at its heart. it emerged recently as reported on news watch that a journalist had posted offensive tweets about israel and hitler three years previous to her employment there. on wednesday, she put out a statement saying that she had been dismissed from herjob and objecting to the decision and offering a heartfelt apology for posting without thinking. news watch contacted her when she had this. in my early 20s, social media was the only way to vent my helplessness and

angen only way to vent my helplessness and anger. living under occupation in the west the bbc had no comment to make on the bbc had no comment to make on the case but the issue of its staff or potential staff posting their views online is clearly a front one for the corporation as it is rather journalist organisations. the director general warned stephanie took over last year that sharing their opinions on social media could harm the organisations reputation for our impartiality. reprimanded by the bbc executive complaints unit after she retreated a post asking

she deleted that retreat quickly but they said that... last year, the bbc commissioned an independent review into this whole area headed by richard, formerly a director of global news of the bbc and now professor of journalism global news of the bbc and now professor ofjournalism at cardiff university and he joins professor ofjournalism at cardiff university and hejoins me now. thank you for coming on news watch. should bbcjournalists notjust be on social media or is there a clear line that they can stay the correct side of? is line that they can stay the correct side of? , ., , . ., , , side of? is unrealistic to suggest that they should _ side of? is unrealistic to suggest that they should be _ side of? is unrealistic to suggest that they should be on _ side of? is unrealistic to suggest that they should be on social - side of? is unrealistic to suggest i that they should be on social media at all because social media has such at all because social media has such a big place in our public consciousness in public debate. but they did to be extremely careful when they're on social media and they cannot behave in the way that many of the people in many on social media behave because they have a responsibility towards the bbc its values and to be impartial. that is

where the difficulty arises because the informality of platforms like twitter in particular and the activist that we see on twitter contempt bbcjournalists to cross that line. i think that although it is inevitable for the bbcjournalist to be on twitter to communicate and furtherjournalism there, it is a disproportionate place in many of the biggest staff, journalists minds because of most of the population is not on twitter and frankly, most of them are never going to see it and it does occupy a lot of time and attention from bbc news journalists they think maybe there needs to be reset a little bit.— reset a little bit. what about the issue of what _ reset a little bit. what about the issue of what you _ reset a little bit. what about the issue of what you retreated - reset a little bit. what about the | issue of what you retreated years reset a little bit. what about the i issue of what you retreated years in the past before you work for the bbc —— retweet. if the past before you work for the bbc -- retweet— the past before you work for the bbc -- retweet. if you treated something in the ast -- retweet. if you treated something in the past before _ -- retweet. if you treated something in the past before we _ -- retweet. if you treated something in the past before we were _ -- retweet. if you treated something in the past before we were for - -- retweet. if you treated something in the past before we were for the i in the past before we were for the bbc, you did not have the responsibilities towards the bbc values as you do when your member of

staff. but equally, social media is a public platform and if you want to work for the bbc or other news organisations that have summer standards, that they give a responsibility to train behave responsibly in the run—up to that in order to clean up the media account retrospectively and we know employers in all areas ofjust the media absolutely go and look through potential candidates past social media to get a sense of who they are. so, frankly any sense of that will mean they are represented who they are today as opposed to the journalists talking about who they might have been several years ago. we should also note that a lot of people are not review social media as a tool to hit the bbc and other organisations as well. we have seen similar incidents with other organisations. in my view, that is a game to try to politicise the bbc. the bbc should bejust game to try to politicise the bbc. the bbc should be just on game to try to politicise the bbc.

the bbc should bejust on its performance and output may think it is wrong to judge it on its performance and output may think it is wrong tojudge it on its input. so trying to second—guess what a particular individuals political views might be or whether they're going to be biased in a particular direction whether or not they're going to be tempted to secure coverage is a bit of a mugs game and not really but the bbc should be judged on what it's broadcast that's a completely separate issue. of i should get led down a rabbit hole we have to say every time a government changes party, perhaps the whole of the news division needs to be changed as well and that's ridiculous. as forjudging it on its performance and output, not trying to second—guess the inputs which is an unfair and illegitimate game. but he think of the question of if you work for a known right wing publication in the past, should they disqualify you from working for the bbc? getting a job at the bbc? ida. disqualify you from working for the bbc? getting a job at the bbc? ha. i bbc? getting a 'ob at the bbc? no, i do not think— bbc? getting a 'ob at the bbc? no, i do not think it — bbc? getting ajob at the bbc? no, i do not think it should _ bbc? getting ajob at the bbc? no, i do not think it should as _ bbc? getting ajob at the bbc? iirr, i do not think it should as long as bbc? getting ajob at the bbc? iirr, i

do not think it should as long as we join the bbc, you subscribe to its values in the behaviour expected to behave in terms of impartiality. otherwise, we have with the people and bbc news who have been members of the conservative party and members of the labour party and many other parties that work for left ring and right wing organisation. the performances have been subscribing to the bbc values when they are in the post. i5 subscribing to the bbc values when they are in the post. is a subscribing to the bbc values when they are in the post.— they are in the post. is a reference on executive _ they are in the post. is a reference on executive directors _ they are in the post. is a reference on executive directors who - they are in the post. is a reference on executive directors who were i on executive directors who were incidentally in the past themselves, the head of the bbc political programmes, to express a view on the editorial appointment? the programmes, to express a view on the editorial appointment?— editorial appointment? the bbc now has a unitary — editorial appointment? the bbc now has a unitary board _ editorial appointment? the bbc now has a unitary board which _ editorial appointment? the bbc now has a unitary board which means i has a unitary board which means members of the executive and nonexecutive directors consider on the table together and i do not think it is surprising or improper for them to share views about all sorts of issues around what would be improper it would be for nonexecutive director to seek a veto

for the process. the bbc, like most organisations and certainly more public organisations have appointments, framework to ensure selection, diversity and it would be quite improperfor them selection, diversity and it would be quite improper for them to trade interfere in that, but there's no indication that that happened. nonexecutive director docking with the head of news and saying board with potential appointments or any other issue seems to me entirely routine. . ~ other issue seems to me entirely routine. ., ~ , ., ., ., other issue seems to me entirely routine. ., ., ., ., routine. thank you for all of your comments _ routine. thank you for all of your comments this _ routine. thank you for all of your comments this week. _ routine. thank you for all of your comments this week. if - routine. thank you for all of your comments this week. if i - routine. thank you for all of your comments this week. if i do i routine. thank you for all of your | comments this week. if i do share your opinions on what you see or hear on bbc news, radio online and social media, e—mail news watch on bbc. we can find us on twitter. you can call us on and do have a look at our website for previous interviews. that is all from us and we are off the airfor a that is all from us and we are off the airfora few that is all from us and we are off the air for a few weeks now and will

be back at the start of september. until then, be back at the start of september. untilthen, goodbye. hello. wales, northern ireland and scotland recorded their highest temperatures of the year so far today, the hot spots in the upper 20s. a few places in england, perhaps wales, will reach the 30 celsius mark for the first time this season this weekend. not everywhere is going to have a very warm to hot weekend because there's a weak weather front close to northern scotland keeping things cooler here with cloud, wind and the chance of seeing a little light rain. that's the case overnight as cloud becomes more extensive across western scotland into northern ireland, a few patches in eastern england, temperatures in the mid to low teens. big picture for the weekend, the area of low pressure which has brought that horrific flooding, particularly to germany, moving southeastwards still with heavy downpours. but behind it, the high pressure giving us a mainly dry weekend will extend to areas that have been exceptionally wet and turn things drier. we are mainly dry, not everywhere.

that weak weather front close to northern scotland on saturday with cloud, breeze and the chance of a little rain. southern and eastern scotland, very warm sunny spells, brightening up in northern ireland after a cloudy start, though some patches of low cloud lingering around some irish sea coasts. any early cloud in eastern england clearing away and temperatures nearing that 30 celsius mark in yorkshire, for example, during saturday afternoon. hot weekend for the grand prix at silverstone, very high track temperatures as well. if you're following the open golf in kent, that stiff northerly breeze will ease a touch. a few words of caution about what's coming this weekend. uv levels widely high to very high, burn quickly without protection, and no let—up for hay fever sufferers — high to very high pollen levels away from those cloudy parts of northern scotland. in fact, in scotland, cloud becomes more extensive as we go through saturday night and into sunday morning. so, there will be more cloud around here, some heavier bursts of rain possible in northern scotland for a time. cloudier in northern ireland, a bit more cloud in northern england,

perhaps north wales. there will be some sunny spells here, too, but temperatures will be a touchdown on sunday compared with saturday here. the highest temperatures here on sunday will be across central and southern parts of england, south wales. again, a few spots are likely to reach that 30 celsius mark. those highest temperatures will begin to ease a little next week. it stays very warm, mind you, largely dry until later in the week, increasing chance of rain.

this is bbc news i'm celia hatton. the headlines: the worst floods in europe for decades kill more than a 120 people emergency services in western germany, belgium and the netherlands search for hundreds of people still missing, and try to rescue those stranded by the floodwaters. with three days to go until most covid restrictions are lifted in england the uk records more than 50,000 new cases in a single day the highest since january. the british government is reversing its recently announced relaxation of rules towards people travelling back to england from france. south africa's president has just addressed the nation — after days of rioting and looting —he says efforts to overthrow democracy have failed.

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