Robinson and his allies pushed the documentary relentlessly in online far-right networks. Sweeney and his Panorama crew were later ambushed by Robinson during an attempted sit-down interview, with the footage being used to make an anti-BBC documentary Robinson dubbed “ Panodrama”. In the ensuing fallout, Sweeney said he personally paid for the drinks. In the footage, Sweeney can be heard ordering rounds of drinks - at different times, wine, gin, flaming sambuca, and Kir Royale. The far-right activist had Sweeney secretly filmed as he was trying to recruit one of Robinson’s former women assistants as a source for a Panorama investigation. As John knows, failing to do so compromises investigative journalism.”īut according to his former BBC colleagues, Sweeney’s number one grievance was the decision to shelve his Tommy Robinson investigation.Īfter his departure from the BBC was made public in October, Sweeney tweeted that Robinson was a “complete c**t”. “The BBC demands high standards from its journalists and expects them to behave with the necessary professionalism. “From our interview with Prince Andrew, which has had profound consequences for the Royal Family, our recent investigation into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, our programme on the alleged cover up of war crimes by the British army, our three-part series on China under President Xi, to our expose into the abuse at Whorlton Hall, it is difficult to argue that the BBC does not produce hard-hitting public interest journalism. The fact something has not yet been broadcast does not mean an investigation has finished.” In response to Sweeney’s Ofcom letter, the BBC defended the broadcaster’s recent record producing investigative journalism, while adding: “Investigative journalism can take years. Sweeney claims to have “evidence to back up every point” and said he’s also writing to leaders of the Commons-select committees on media, intelligence, and foreign affairs about the issues. It makes a series of incendiary claims about the BBC, which includes naming programmes he thought were “compromised” by management in the face of “threats from the far-right and the Russian state”.Īs well as attacking several senior journalists and editors by name for doing corporate speaking gigs and ties to Russian media baron Evgeny Lebedev, Sweeney claimed BBC investigations into Jeremy Corbyn’s chief spin doctor Seumas Milne, Brexit mega-donor Arron Banks, former culture secretary John Whittingdale, and Labour peer Lord Mandelson had been either “not commissioned” or “not broadcast”. Sweeney’s letter to Ofcom chief executive Sharon White was posted to his personal website last week.
In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “We do not comment on staff matters.” He also accused BuzzFeed News of "rubbish journalism". “I have complained to Ofcom because I believe it was in the public interest to broadcast our Panorama, and it was cowardly of BBC management to allow themselves to be intimidated by such a figure as Tommy Robinson.” On Thursday, Sweeney responded to further questions via email with a longer statement, which didn’t address the complaint from the young journalist but focused on the BBC’s “cowardly” decision not to air the Robinson programme. I stand by my letter, I don't want to add anything.” "The reason they didn't put the programme out, I say, the director-general has a culture of timidity, and he lacks he himself lacks courage. “I cracked up under pressure because the BBC didn't put my programme out. “I cracked up, that's true,” Sweeney said. He described himself as a “loyal soldier of 17 years” before hanging up on further questions. When BuzzFeed News put this to Sweeney over the phone, he said he had “cracked up” after the BBC decided not to broadcast the Tommy Robinson programme. It’s understood both incidents were considered by BBC management and played a part in his departure. One BBC source said the journalist was “deeply offended” by Sweeney’s remark and filed an HR complaint with management. According to multiple sources, Sweeney made an offensive comment to a BBC journalist at the London launch of Maitlis’s memoir Airhead. The second incident took place at the book launch of BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis in April. The first related to the botched BBC Panorama investigation into Tommy Robinson which saw him secretly filmed by the far-right activist while trying to cultivate a source. BuzzFeed News can reveal Sweeney parted ways with the BBC after two incidents earlier this year.
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