Supermarket foods claiming to be ‘natural’ or ‘sustainable’ mostly just using marketing terms, researchers find
Research shows many supermarket foods labeled 'natural' or 'sustainable' are just marketing terms.
The Guardian World1 min read
Ofcom partially upholds police watchdog complaint about BBC's Chris Kaba doc
TL;DR
Ofcom has partially upheld a complaint from the police watchdog regarding a BBC Panorama episode on Chris Kaba's shooting. The IOPC objected to claims made in the documentary that a murder investigation was initiated due to public pressure.
Key points
- Ofcom partially upheld a police watchdog complaint
- Complaint was about a BBC Panorama episode
- Claims were made by Sal Naseem regarding public pressure
- The IOPC denied the claims
- Kaba was shot by police officer Martyn Blake
Mentioned in this story
Chris KabaMartyn BlakeOfcomIndependent Office for Police ConductBBC
Broadcast regulator Ofcom has partially upheld a complaint from the police watchdog over a Panorama episode about the shooting of Chris Kaba.
The documentary included claims by Sal Naseem, a former London regional director for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), that a murder investigation into the police officer who shot Kaba had been launched amid pressure over potential public disorder.
The IOPC denied the claim and objected after its statement was not included in the initial broadcast, and the BBC refused to make a public apology.
Kaba was shot by police officer Martyn Blake after trying to ram his car past police cars in Streatham in September 2022.
The IOPC launched a murder investigation four days after Mr Kaba was shot.
Mr Blake was cleared of murder in October following a trial at the Old Bailey, and is waiting to learn whether he will face disciplinary proceedings.
On Monday, Ofcom said while the programme makers had been fair regarding Naseem's comments, they did not give the IOPC a proper chance to respond to further criticisms by former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu, and former armed officer Tony Long.
In its ruling, the regulator said: "In relation to Mr Naseem's contribution, Ofcom found that the broadcaster took reasonable care to satisfy itself that material facts were not presented, disregarded or omitted in the programme in a way that resulted in unfairness to the IOPC.
"However, in relation to the criticisms made by Mr Basu and Mr Long, we considered that these comments had the potential to materially or adversely affect viewers' opinions of the IOPC in a way that was unfair."
The BBC had argued that Mr Basu and Mr Long's comments were presented as personal and professional opinions.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We note the findings of this Ofcom ruling, which are broadly in line with the conclusions reached by the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit in dealing with the IOPC's initial complaint.
"We are pleased that the complaint relating to Mr Naseem's contribution was not upheld.
"We took quick action to add the statement made by the IOPC after the criminal trial to the iPlayer version of the programme, and to the online article.
"We always strive to be as fair and thorough as possible when offering and including responses from people and organisations in our programmes."
Q&A
What was the complaint against the BBC's documentary on Chris Kaba?
The complaint was about the omission of the IOPC's statement and claims that a murder investigation was launched under public pressure.
Who shot Chris Kaba and what happened during the incident?
Chris Kaba was shot by police officer Martyn Blake after attempting to ram his car past police vehicles in Streatham in September 2022.
What did the IOPC say about the claims made in the documentary?
The IOPC denied the claims made by Sal Naseem regarding the murder investigation and objected to their exclusion from the broadcast.
When was the murder investigation into Chris Kaba's shooting launched?
The murder investigation was launched four days after Chris Kaba was shot by police.
