According to Wrabetz, journalistic and program-shaping staff of ORF should not have private accounts to express opinions, since it “could undermine the objectivity, impartiality and independence of the public service broadcaster,” reports Austrian daily the Standard.
New rules for social networks have been pre-released, stating that employees should “refrain from public statements and comments on social media that are interpreted as approval, rejection or rating of utterance, sympathy, antipathy, criticism and ‘polemics’ towards political institutions, their representatives or members.”
These included Likes, Dislikes, Recommends, Retweets or Shares, because they were an indirect expression of opinion.
The draft for new social media rules was to be submitted to the Board of Trustees on Thursday, but it was sent to some radio workers on Tuesday.
Ruling parties ÖVP and FPÖ had demanded new social media rules in the past. Since May 2018, Norbert Steger (FPÖ) has chaired the ORF Board of Trustees. The Council is to control the public broadcasting of Austria.