Conspiracyland UK?, BBC News Channel, 22 June 2023

Complaint

A viewer complained that this programme, which set out to expose disinformation, itself contained disinformation about an article he had written.  The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy.


Outcome

The article in question, which was featured in one of the programme’s graphics, was headlined “British jurors concluded taxes may have funded 7/7”, with the subheading “Reasonable cause to suspect it was a ‘false flag’ attack”.  It concerned the trial in 2011of Anthony John Hill on a charge of perverting the course of justice for having sent a homemade documentary suggesting the British security services had carried out the 7/7 bombings to the judge and jury foreman in a trial linked to the attacks.  The article drew the conclusion that Mr Hill’s acquittal amounted to a finding by the jury that Mr Hill’s theory was true.  As this conclusion was entirely unwarranted, the ECU considered it justifiable for the programme to include the article among its illustrations of disinformation.

Not upheld