Ofcom partially upholds police watchdog complaint about BBC's Chris Kaba doc
Summary
Ofcom partially agreed with a police watchdog's complaint about a BBC documentary covering the shooting of Chris Kaba by a police officer. The regulator found the BBC was fair in one part of the program but unfairly gave no chance to respond to some criticisms about the watchdog’s independence.Key Facts
- Chris Kaba was shot by police officer Martyn Blake in September 2022.
- The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the shooting and launched a murder inquiry four days later.
- Officer Martyn Blake was cleared of murder in October after a trial.
- The BBC’s Panorama documentary included claims from Sal Naseem, former IOPC regional director, about pressure on the murder investigation.
- The IOPC objected because their statement was not aired initially and the BBC refused a public apology.
- Ofcom found the BBC was fair regarding Naseem’s comments but unfair by not letting the IOPC respond to other criticisms made by Neil Basu and Tony Long.
- The BBC added the IOPC’s statement online after the trial and said it strives to be fair.
- IOPC’s director expressed satisfaction with Ofcom’s ruling but said the BBC caused serious harm to its reputation.
- Ofcom is also investigating GB News around impartiality rules linked to a Donald Trump interview.
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