Laura Kuenssberg has rejected claims of ‘Tory cronyism’ at the BBC.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Kuenssberg said that she has “never been told what to say” during her time with the broadcaster, adding that the role of journalists in the BBC is “to find the truth”.
She said: “People say “well, you can’t do this and you can’t do that, you’re terribly restricted”. For me, that’s totally upside down, because the whole point at the BBC is that you’re not following the line; all you’re doing is trying to find the truth.
“I’ve never been told what to say — or what not to say, maybe more importantly.”
Pacify
Emily Maitlis said the BBC “sought to pacify” Number 10 by issuing a swift apology for her Newsnight monologue about Dominic Cummings as she said the programme’s introduction received “way more attention than in truth it ever deserved”.
The journalist, who left the broadcaster this year for rival media group Global, used the annual MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival to highlight what she described as the “normalising” of populist ideas by the media.
Here is her speech:
Kuenssberg
Kuenssberg’s comments have resurfaced after a promotional video for her new show went out.
She is the new permanent presenter of the BBC’s Sunday morning politics show.
Kuenssberg said: “I couldn’t be more delighted. For decades Sunday morning has been the moment to explore the events that shape us and to challenge and listen to our politicians.
“It’s an honour to take the chair for that conversation in the 2020s.”
Kuenssberg, who was raised in Glasgow, succeeded Nick Robinson as political editor in 2015 – becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Here is it:
Reactions
Promotional videos or political shows are never very good, but this one appears to be a bit more cringe than others:
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Related: Telegraph article slams Emily Maitlis as the ‘Meghan Markle of journalism’ – reactions