The BBC News channel has got a roasting from the corporation’s editorial standards board for giving what amounted to free advertising for Starbucks’ olive oil coffee drink.
The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) upheld a complaint from a viewer who said that a February 23 report on Oleato coffee was “blatant promotion.” The BBC has strict rules prohibiting advertising and promotion because it is funded by the British public through the license fee.
The BBC does carry editorial content on new commercial products but it must be careful not to stray into promoting the goods.
The BBC News channel failed in this regard because of “lingering or repetitious” references to Starbucks’ branding and the positive tone of the reporting, the ECU said.
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