This morning The Sun added credibility to critics claiming the Murdoch media had pitched up at the BBC ready to do battle by running this piece:
BBC blows fortune on Facebook classes
The “article” claims the BBC is offering a Facebook course. Just to put the facts right, the course is actually a tutorial in “Making The Web Work For You” and the description is:
A one day course using PC’s in the training room. It will provide delegates with practical socal media and internet tools they can embed in their journalism. It will enable journalists and producers to find original stories, case studies and pictures using the latest web techniques. As part of the course delegates will learn how to use an RSS aggregator, the power of real time search engines, use their own Twitter account and start social bookmarking effectively.
I consider this article to be deliberately pugilistic at worst and misleading at best.
I work in a technical support position at the BBC and speak to people falling into many different age groups and levels technical expertise. Many people, especially older people, are still getting up to speed with web-based media. After all, they work in television and radio and have done long before there was a World Wide Web. If they don’t get up to speed with “new media” they call us and ask questions and we do our best to help, which also incurs internal charges. Having one tutor teach many people at one time is, in fact, more cost efficient than lots of people calling a few people every time they have a question about using things like RSS or social media.
As the BBC don’t discriminate on the basis of age, they’re hardly going to be sacked for having to adjust to new ways of doing things. The Sun’s condemnation the BBC trying to train staff smacks of trying to spin something beneficial into something expensive and foolish. The course helps people do their jobs more effectively with the latest tools. That’s a good thing; don’t believe the hype.
While I work for the BBC my views are mine alone and do not represent those of the BBC.