The reform on what 3Cat professionals can say on social media is stalled.
The entity's management commissioned a regulation proposal and, half a year after receiving it, it has still not been submitted to the Governing Council.
Barcelona3Cat has a problem that no one dares to start. In recent years, they have frequently been the subject of parliamentary questions in which the parties most critical of TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio have denounced messages posted by public media professionals on their private social media profiles. The Catalan Corporation of Audiovisual Media (CCMA) is searching, but has not found, a formula that balances the freedom of expression of its employees with maintaining the image of neutrality that is assumed for a publicly paid entity. In the case of 3Cat, a proposal has been in the works for six months, according to ARA, but it has not yet been submitted to the CCMA's governing council and, therefore, has not received a response, nor does it plan to do so in the short term.
The Generalitat's media are governed by a style book dating back to 2012. The text makes a reference to this thorny issue, stating that "CCMA professionals cannot make public statements that compromise the impartiality of their media." This translates into four prohibitions: adopting political positions if they affect the image of neutrality, issuing offensive or derogatory messages, discrediting the CCMA, or revealing confidential company information.
One of the problems with the current situation is that the definition of "CCMA professionals" has often been interpreted in its most literal sense, and therefore the precepts affected only regular staff, excluding program collaborators hired by a production company. Figures such as Peyu, Toni Albà or Jair Domínguez, for example, have been the subject of frequent parliamentary questions in the control committee and the House's response to dismiss punitive actions has often been based on the fact that, stricto sensu, were not TV3 staff despite their prominent presence on screen. Another way out of the parliamentary grip was to consider a program as entertainment—for example, the now-defunct FAQs– even though it contained a significant political and current affairs component.
To resolve this ambiguity, the team working on updating the style guide was tasked by the 3Cat management with updating the wording of this section and, six months ago, submitted the proposal to validate the change to a drawer, without even submitting it to a vote. Sources from the CCMA management explain to ARA that, as there is a current style guide, there is no pressing need to update it, because the matter is already addressed in the current text and, since the proposal includes sanctions for those who contract this matter, which affects a fundamental right, taking into account that none of these rules appear in employment contracts
The proposal – to which this newspaper has had access – establishes three different levels of personnel. Presenters, ENG (reporters), scriptwriters, directors, production assistants, producers and content creators "assigned to news, sports and programs in which current affairs have a prominent presence", who are also told that "they cannot express their political or ideological preferences from their accounts on the different social networks, nor make comments that put".
The most substantial change comes with the group of "presenters and regular contributors to non-news programs and content (entertainment and humor)", who are allowed to "express their points of view through social networks, but responsible use is recommended so as not to call into question the style guide, neutrality and reputation". the proposal, because it is established only as a recommendation, but, on the other hand, it is explicitly banned from criticizing 3Cat media on the networks or publishing confidential information of the company. Finally, it is said that occasional external collaborators, actors in fiction series, panelists and experts "are not obliged"
The proposed regulation includes disciplinary measures "that will be decided jointly and consensually between human resources and the respective media managements." However, it will be the style book working group who will determine whether or not any of the precepts of this guide have actually been violated - Tió, David Bassa, Jordi Pi, Santi Carreras, Judith Arcilla, Ernest Rusinés, Laura Baladas, Bernat Soler and Patrícia Artigas