Princess Diana in her interview with Panorama (Picture: PA)
The former director-general of the BBC has accepted the inquiry into how BBC’s Panorama secured its interview with Princess Diana ‘fell short’.
Lord Tony Hall said today he accepts the 1996 BBC inquiry into how Panorama secured its interview with the Princess of Wales ‘fell well short of what was required’ and he was ‘wrong to give Martin Bashir the benefit of the doubt’.
Lord Hall’s full statement to the PA news agency read: ‘I have read Lord Dyson’s report, and I accept that our investigation 25 years ago into how Panorama secured the interview with Princess Diana fell well short of what was required. In hindsight, there were further steps we could and should have taken following complaints about Martin Bashir’s conduct.
‘I was wrong to give Martin Bashir the benefit of the doubt, basing that judgement as I did on what appeared to be deep remorse on his part. Throughout my 35-year career at the BBC, I have always acted in ways I believe were fair, impartial and with the public interest front and centre.
‘While Lord Dyson does not criticise my integrity, I am sorry that our investigation failed to meet the standards that were required.’
Credit: Original article published here.You can read this post on My Celebrity Life.