BBC broadcast information making Labour leader’s home address easy to identify – and declined to delete it when challenged
Some time ago, the BBC broadcast video that made it possible for anyone who wishes to do so to pin down Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s exact address. The nature of that information and of the broadcast will not be disclosed here for obvious reasons.
Only slightly less dangerously than the broadcast that could have revealed Corbyn’s address, the BBC and other media routinely broadcast their ‘doorstepping’ of the Labour leader at his home address, in spite of his clear advice that he will not answer questions outside his home.
Some time later, Corbyn was attacked at Finsbury Park mosque by a right-wing activist. Although Corbyn was struck hard in the head by a fist and the attacker was charged with ‘assault by beating’ and subsequently received a prison sentence, the media persisted in minimising the event – describing it only as an ‘egging’.
In the wake of the Finsbury Park attack, other right-wingers expressed their intention to ‘visit’ Corbyn – and last year, the man who murdered a Muslim outside the same mosque admitted that he had also hoped to kill the Labour leader.
Earlier this month, there was outrage at leaked video footage of UK paratroopers practising on a shooting range by firing at an image of Jeremy Corbyn.
This is not a game. Recklessness by the media can have life or death consequences.
The SKWAWKBOX called the BBC at the beginning of this month and then sent the following by email:
As discussed, the [redacted] shows information that could very easily be used to track down Corbyn’s address.
Response by return please to the following:
1. Will the BBC remove [the information]?
2. There are longstanding criticisms of the practice of door stepping Corbyn, especially when he’s said he won’t answer questions outside his house. Why does the BBC do it and will the BBC stop now, given the security risk?
3. What is the BBC’s comment on putting political leaders at risk in light of this morning’s video of paras shooting – and the attack on Corbyn in Finsbury Park?
As of the time of publication, the BBC has not deleted the information – or even bother to respond to the enquiry, in spite of a promise to do so.
Today, the media are reporting that ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protesters have glued themselves to the fence of Corbyn’s house as part of their protest – claiming that this was to ‘support’ Corbyn in taking action, saying:
He is best hope this country has and we are hear to support him to go further.
Most of the media have covered the protest – and the BBC Newsnight programme’s Twitter account mentioned Extinction Rebellion for the first time ever in a tweet about it:
SKWAWKBOX comment:
The sight of glued protesters might be amusing to some, but it might just as easily have been a right-wing extremist of violent intent who turned up outside Corbyn’s home – potentially facilitated by the UK’s state broadcaster.
Yet the BBC appears to think the matter trivial – and to have no intention of ending or even reducing its ‘doorstepping’ habit.
The security of the likely next Prime Minister – and the hope of millions suffering under the Tories – is put at risk by the behaviour of the media, not to mention the habits of the right-wing press in its use of demonising language about Corbyn and the left in general.
For commercial media to behave in this way is inexcusable, but for the state-funded broadcaster to persistently behave so recklessly – and to brush off the issue when challenged – is unforgivable.
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