Oh dear. In a week where the Daily Mail has been sticking the boot into the BBC over the Trump edits, the publisher has somewhat failed to keep its own house in order. On Saturday, they issued an apology to Nick Robinson – after falsely attributing a quote to the senior journalist.
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Daily Mail publish apology over fake quote
Earlier in the week, the Daily Mail ran a piece which claimed Robinson – the current presenter of BBC Today – stated there was a culture of fear at the broadcaster. The story quoted him saying there was a ‘fear of making decisions and a fear of the truth’ in response to Donald Trump’s wrath.
However, it has since transpired that Robinson wasn’t just misquoted – but that he had never made a comment even remotely like that. The fabricated quote was allowed to remain unchallenged for 72 hours, until the Daily Mail published its correction over the weekend.
BBC crisis after Trump lawsuit
It comes at a time where the BBC finds itself under some of the most intense scrutiny it will ever face. After a Panorama documentary from last year clipped one of the US President’s speeches to highlights has actions on 6 January 2021, the issue was dragged back to the surface via a leaked memo.
This caught the attention of the White House, and Mr. Trump has since threatened to sue the BBC for damages amounting to $1 billion. Debates about the very existence of the broadcasting institution have raged over the last week or so, with Nick Robinson find himself in the crossfire.
‘Unhinged’, ‘semi-deranged’ – Daily Mail rips into Nick Robinson
Speaking on his X account this week, he highlighted that the error had been acknowledged and addressed by the newspaper.
However, Robinson also revealed that he’d been subjected to heightened critical commentary by the Daily Mail, noting that ‘at least six unfavourable articles’ were written about him. Alas, as the BBC crisis rumbles on, something tells us the stones will keep coming from the glass houses…
“The Daily Mail admits that it published a statement it claimed I had made, when I have never said anything like it.”
“Their correction and apology for making up something I never said comes after a week in which it has run, by my last count, six headline pieces condemning me for being, amongst other things, ‘unhinged’ and ‘semi-deranged’.” | Nick Robinson