The reform on what 3Cat professionals can say on social media is stalled.
The governing council of the entity has kept a proposed regulation unanswered for half a year.
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 personal 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 the CCMA's governing council has not yet responded to it, 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 governing council to update the wording of this section and, six months ago, submitted the proposal to the entity's top management for validation. But months pass and the document remains in a drawer, without even being put to a vote. Sources within the CCMA management explain to ARA that, as there is a current style guide, there is no pressing need to update it, because the issue is already addressed in the current text. And, since the proposal includes sanctions for those who violate its precepts, they believe it is necessary to carefully study the legal basis for this issue, 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 staff. On one hand, there are executives, who are not allowed to express their political, economic, social, or sporting preferences on their social media accounts, even if they are personal. Then there is a second group made up of presenters, reporters, scriptwriters, directors, production assistants, producers, and content creators "assigned to news, sports, and programs in which current affairs have a prominent presence." They are also told that "they cannot express their political or ideological preferences on their various social media accounts, nor can they express their political or ideological preferences on CCMA media."
The most substantial change comes with the group of "presenters and regular contributors to non-news programs and content (entertainment and comedy)," who are allowed to "express their views through social media, but responsible use is recommended so as not to compromise the style guide, neutrality, and reputation." Therefore, there is a certain permissiveness in the proposal, because it is established only as a recommendation, but, on the other hand, it explicitly prohibits criticizing 3Cat's media on social media or publishing confidential company information. Finally, it states that occasional external contributors, actors in fiction series, commentators, and experts "are not bound by this guide, although compliance is recommended."
The proposed regulations include disciplinary measures "that will be decided jointly and consensually between human resources and the respective media management." However, it will be the style guide working group that determines whether or not any of the precepts of this guide have actually been violated. The current members of this commission are Jaume Peral –as coordinator–, Lluís Caelles, Natalia Ramon, Montse Tió, David Bassa, Jordi Pi, Santi Carreras, Judith Arcilla, Ernest Rusinés, Laura Baladas, Bernat Soler and Patrícia Artigas.
