{"id":20828,"date":"2022-08-25T11:37:59","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T09:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1698191"},"modified":"2022-08-25T11:49:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T09:49:08","slug":"bbc-reacts-to-emily-maitlis-criticism-of-its-response-to-newsnight-remarks","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/bbc-reacts-to-emily-maitlis-criticism-of-its-response-to-newsnight-remarks\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC reacts to Emily Maitlis criticism of its response to Newsnight remarks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Moss\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The BBC has responded to criticism it has received from Emily Maitlis, for its response to her 2020 on-air comments about Dominic Cummings.<\/p>\n

In May 2020, the former Newsnight host said Cummings, then Boris Johnson\u2019s chief advisor, had \u201cbroken the [COVID lockdown] rules\u201d, adding: \u201cThe country can see that and it\u2019s shocked the government cannot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maitlis\u2019s remarks attracted over 20,000 complaints and the BBC later decided the presenter had breached impartiality rules.<\/p>\n

In a speech at the Edinburgh International TV Festival<\/a> on Wednesday (24th August),\u00a0Maitlis said: \u201cWhy had the BBC immediately and publicly sought to confirm the government spokesman\u2019s opinion, without any kind of due process?\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cIt makes no sense for an organisation that is, admirably, famously rigorous about procedure \u2013\u00a0unless it was perhaps sending a message of reassurance directly to the government itself?\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to Maitlis\u2019s criticism, a BBC spokesperson said: \u201cThe BBC places the highest value on due impartiality and accuracy and we apply these principles to our reporting on all issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we have made clear previously in relation to Newsnight we did not take action as a result of any pressure from Number 10 or Government and to suggest otherwise is wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BBC found the programme breached its editorial standards and that decision still stands.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an apparent reference to Sir Robbie Gibb, who previously worked as\u00a0Theresa May\u2019s communications director, Maitlis also said: \u201cPut this in the context of the BBC board, where another active agent of the Conservative party \u2013\u00a0former Downing Street spin doctor and former adviser to BBC rival GB News \u2013\u00a0now sits, acting as the arbiter of BBC impartiality.\u201d<\/p>\n