Liverpool FC have complained to the BBC after the former editor of the Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, was invited as a guest to talk about journalistic standards.
Despite being editor when the Sun made its false claims about Liverpool supporters after the Hillsborough disaster, MacKenzie was invited on to BBC News to talk about journalistic standards at the corporation.
James Pearce of the Athletic reported that “Anfield officials are furious” and Liverpool have since complained to the BBC.
MacKenzie appeared on television on Sunday evening, with his interview repeated three times on Monday morning’s BBC Breakfast programme. Sky News have also featured the 79-year-old.
The Athletic contacted the BBC to ask why MacKenzie had been used, but they declined to comment and pointed out only that he wasn’t a guest on BBC Breakfast, rather an interviewee on the previous night’s news.
Why Kelvin MacKenzie was on BBC News
MacKenzie was invited to share his views following the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and their head of news, Deborah Turness.
These resignations came as a result of pressure stemming from a Panorama programme that made a Donald Trump speech from January 6, 2001 seem like he explicitly encouraged the Capitol Hill riot. The US President has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion.
Subsequently, MacKenzie was invited to speak on BBC News about journalistic standards, but this has been widely criticised due to the former Sun editor’s track record.
As well as the outrageous lies around the Hillsborough disaster, he has also published countless other false, often xenophobic stories, among them an untrue claim that Elton John slept with underage rent boys.
This then begs the question of why such a man would be invited to talk about journalistic standards.
Ian Byrne MP for West Derby reacted on X, saying: “You couldn’t make it up. The urgent need for reform of the British media has just been perfectly exemplified by BBC Breakfast bringing on Kelvin MacKenzie to talk about integrity in journalism.
“This is the individual who published truly horrific – and now completely discredited – lies and smears about Hillsborough victims and survivors in the S*n after the tragedy. Lies that continue to cause so much harm to so many even today.”
Peter Scarfe of the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, told the Athletic: “It’s insulting and it’s offensive from the BBC. The irony of MacKenzie lecturing anyone on honesty and integrity in journalism after what he did.
“It’s unbelievable that the BBC would turn to someone like him on a subject like that. They should be ashamed. Seeing him given a platform like that is a real kick in the teeth.”
You can make a complaint to the BBC here and Sky News here.