Jeremy Corbyn caricature. Image:Flickr / DonkeyHotey
Along with the rise of the SNP and the radical independence movement in Scotland, the emergence of the mild mannered socialist MP Jeremy Corbyn as the clear favourite in the Labour leadership election is one of the most extraordinary British political stories of recent decades. There can be no doubt then that it is an appropriate topic for the BBC to report on, and in some detail.
Indeed, informing audiences about political issues is crucial to the BBC's public service remit. The way the Corporation's flagship investigative programme Panorama covered the story on Monday night, however, was, to put it mildly, disappointing. At best the programme was irresponsible and lazy tabloid-style journalism. At worst it was a dereliction of the BBC's duties as a public service broadcaster.
