| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Panorama issues statement on Saving Syria’s Children
BBC Panorama has issued a statement regarding its 2013 documentary ‘Saving Syria’s Children’.
The statement is in response to challenges made by film, television and radio producer Victor Lewis-Smith.
On February 21 Lewis-Smith was alerted by political blogger Daniel Margrain to the recent UK Column Insight programme Saving Syria’s Children – The Worst Case Of Fake News?.
@hairymarx1 @cerumol Daniel. Ta! I have watched it twice tonight. Panorama has always been the State broadcaster’s fig-leaf. I am digging.!
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 22, 2017
Lewis-Smith subsequently tweeted Panorama requesting a discussion about Saving Syria’s Children, placing his contract for a forthcoming BBC Radio 4 comedy pilot at stake.
.@bbcpanorama. Will someone in your office contact me about the possible fake Syria programme you made? Or I will terminate my bbc contract
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 23, 2017
I have a contract to make a tx pilot for BBC R4 comedy. That gets ripped up tonight if editor Panorama fails to contact me .@bbcpanorama
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 23, 2017
After several hours of “omerta”, as Lewis-Smith described it, a reply eventually was forthcoming from the BBC News Press Team.
@TVOFFAL Ofcom sided with the BBC on this issue. As reported at the time we stand by our journalism. More on p22 https://t.co/yM1x0Vewh9
— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) February 23, 2017
As I tweeted in reply, the Ofcom report cited by the BBC News Press Team was in no way a defence of the BBC’s material. Lewis-Smith was also unimpressed:
Totally irrelevant now given new research. Don’t use Ofcom as a fig leaf. We’ve seen that collapse before https://t.co/dKnIuVzFNm
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 23, 2017
Shortly afterwards Panorama editor Rachel Jupp replied to Lewis-Smith promising a conversation:
Editor of .@bbcpanorama contacted me. We are talking on Monday. Hmmm
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 23, 2017
However by Monday Jupp’s position had shifted, prompting Lewis-Smith to up his demand to the release of the Saving Syria’s Children rushes:
Editor of Panorama has written. Would rather put her response in writing later today. How about her making the unedited rushes available?
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 27, 2017
While waiting for Jupp to fulfil her second promise, Lewis-Smith and I spoke and shortly afterwards a proposal was mooted:
Just spoke to Robert Stewart .@cerumol. His brilliant research into the @bbcpanorama fake Syria doc spurs me to make a cinema doc about it
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 27, 2017
Monday came and went with no statement from Jupp.
@racheljupp @bbcpanorama Shall I cut or rip it up? Pls agree to release the rushes or the contract is destroyed tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/331nkNqr3X
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) February 28, 2017
At 15:08 on Wednesday 1 March, two days later than promised, Jupp’s statement finally appeared on Panorama’s Facebook page. Four hours later Lewis-Smith posted a video of his tearing up his BBC contract.
@racheljupp editor of @bbcpanorama Ok. As promised, I’ve torn up my BBC contract. More will undoubtedly follow. https://t.co/9evQYTkDjw
— Victor Lewis-Smith (@TVOFFAL) March 1, 2017
I have added my responses to Jupp’s statement (reproduced below) in the comments below the Panorama Facebook post.
For Victor Lewis-Smith’s observations on Saving Syria’s Children see his Tweets & replies from 21 February onward.
Robert Stuart
Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk
Source: http://www.philosophers-stone.co.uk/?p=18227
