BBC journalist ‘forced to drop story on charity link to Chinese secret police’
A BBC investigation into a charity with links to the Chinese secret police was axed because its head of PR was an editor at the Corporation, a tribunal heard yesterday.
The alleged conflict of interest was uncovered by one of the BBC’s own journalists, Sally Chidzoy, who claims she was forced to drop the story to ‘protect’ the Corporation.
But rather than rewarding her loyalty, BBC bosses are then accused of branding Miss Chidzoy a ‘dangerous dog’ and putting her under surveillance in a campaign of abuse and isolation.
The award-winning reporter – a familiar face on the BBC’s regional current affairs programme Look East– was described as a ‘Shitsu’ in an apparent play on words of the dog breed shih tzu, the employment tribunal in Cambridge heard. Bosses who had previously praised her rigour and determination allegedly branded her a ‘c*** journalist’ as part of a two-year bullying campaign.
Former police officers at the broadcaster’s investigations unit, which probes criminal activity and other wrongdoing by staff, are said to have compiled evidence against her.
Miss Chidzoy, who still works at the BBC, said: ‘I was subject to a covert investigation by exMetropolitan Police officers who populate the BBC investigations unit. In documentation… I was repeatedly referred to as a “suspect”. I was being treated as if I was a criminal.
‘The forms used by the investigators included boxes to be completed, relating to gender [and] eye colour.’
At one point, bosses are alleged to have falsely imprisoned the reporter and ‘ambushed’ her so they could check her phone records.
Miss Chidzoy, 56, refused to hand over her phone because it would breach her duty to her journalistic sources.
Senior Corporation figures are also accused of collecting emails she sent to colleagues, including jokes and responses to social invitations.
Miss Chidzoy, who has worked at the BBC for nearly 30 years, said her troubles began when she found out her boss Nikki O’Donnell – an editor on Look East – was also working for the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics charity.
The Cambridge charity’s website says it researches ‘complex, ethical, social and environmental issues’.
Miss Chidzoy said she started looking into the charity in 2013, when it was targeted by human rights protesters for supporting a visit to Cambridge University When Miss Chidzoy tried to see the documents, the BBC said it could not find them. It later changed its story, and said the declaration was ‘not required in these circumstances’.
Miss Chidzoy said she also raised the alarm over an apparent attempt by Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb to influence coverage while he was a health minister. Mr Lamb sent an email about a story she was working on to an editor, from his personal email address.
The email was later leaked to a newspaper and the BBC suspected Miss Chidzoy was responsible, but could not find any evidence.
In August 2015, she was given a written warning.
She claims she was the victim of discrimination, victimisation and sexual harassment by BBC management. The BBC said it was contesting the tribunal. The hearing continues.
‘Subject to covert investigation’