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CNN —
The BBC is ensnared in scandal — and its reporters are not shying away from covering it.
On Tuesday, the British news organization broke news that a second young person had come forward to accuse one of its anchors — who still remains unnamed — of inappropriate behavior. The BBC reported that the person, whom the outlet described as in their 20s, was threatened by the host on an online dating app.
The news came amid explosive allegations that the same BBC anchor paid a young person starting at age 17 for explicit photos. In a twist, a lawyer for that young person on Monday denied the BBC host had done any wrongdoing and described the allegations as “rubbish.”
The scandal has unquestionably created a difficult atmosphere at the iconic British broadcaster, entangling it in a major controversy that is distracting from the important journalism the outlet regularly produces.
But it has also put on display the BBC’s commitment to holding itself to the same standards it holds others organizations. Its reporters have aggressively covered the unfolding story and the institution has spotlighted it, even sending out push alerts on the developments.
In fact, in its efforts to be as transparent as possible, the BBC has even gone as far as to openly explain to readers how it goes about reporting on itself.
“With stories like this one, BBC News journalists treat the BBC in the same way as any other organization the news service reports on,” it said in a note appended to stories on the matter. “And like with any other organization, BBC News has to ask BBC management or BBC services for responses and contact the BBC press office for official statements.”
The note continues, “Occasionally BBC journalists approach senior managers for unplanned interviews - known as ‘doorsteps’ in the news business. They sometimes also get offered interviews with management … And when this happens, they know they will be scrutinized within and outside the BBC over how well they hold their boss to account.”
The unbridled transparency from the BBC’s journalists comes in stark contrast to other outlets that have recently been tasked with covering their own organization’s struggles, including Fox News, which all but muzzled its own media reporter from covering the historic Dominion Voting Systems defamation case.
But as polls show the public questioning its trust in the traditional news media and outlets come under relentless attacks from bad faith actors and political figures, news outlets not only have a duty to report the truth — wherever it may lead — but to be unflinching in their commitment to transparency.
