Outrage Over BBC’s Interview with Kelvin MacKenzie Following Director General’s Resignation

A survivor of the Hillsborough disaster has expressed outrage at the BBC’s decision to interview Kelvin MacKenzie regarding the recent resignation of its director general and news CEO.

Mr. MacKenzie served as the editor of the Sun newspaper when it infamously published the headline ‘The Truth’, which falsely attributed blame for the 1989 tragedy to Liverpool fans. The decision to include him in the news discussion has been labeled an “absolute insult” by Peter Scarfe, chairman of the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance (HSSA), with indications that officials from Liverpool FC are also “furious”.

The BBC responded to the criticism, stating that Mr. MacKenzie was featured as part of a broader news package on Sunday evening that aimed to include a variety of perspectives from the media industry.

The resignations of Director General Tim Davie and CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness were announced following the leak of an internal memo published by the Telegraph. The memo alleged that an episode of Panorama misled viewers by combining segments of a speech delivered by US President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, to imply he explicitly encouraged the Capitol Hill riot.

Liverpool FC has confirmed that it reached out to BBC Breakfast and BBC News regarding footage that aired repeatedly on Monday morning’s program, emphasizing its disappointment with the decision to include Mr. MacKenzie in the broadcast.

In 2012, Mr. MacKenzie issued an apology, claiming he had been “completely duped” regarding the details of the Hillsborough disaster, although the Sun continues to be boycotted by many in Merseyside. A new set of inquests in 2016 concluded that the 97 victims were unlawfully killed and that the fans were not responsible for the tragic crush in the Leppings Lane end.

Peter Scarfe articulated the sentiment of many survivors, stating, “It’s an absolute insult, a despicable insult to the memories and families of the 97. It’s purely offensive; I can’t believe they would even consider speaking to someone like him.”

He further noted that survivors have been “beaten down for decades” by the false narrative propagated by the Sun following the disaster. “I still hear comments on terraces and social media asserting ‘The Sun was right’ — it’s shocking to think they would turn to him.”

During his appearance on the BBC News Channel, Mr. MacKenzie remarked that the resignations were “the right thing to do” and acknowledged the persistence of the issue. Discussing the editing of the Trump speech, he questioned, “If you can’t be trusted on that, what can you be trusted on?”

The Liverpool supporters’ union, The Spirit of Shankly, responded with “anger and total disbelief” at the BBC’s decision to feature Mr. MacKenzie in a conversation about “journalistic integrity”. They emphasized that no reminder is needed of the falsehoods he disseminated concerning Hillsborough, which continue to impact individuals today, labeling the choice to give him a platform as “utterly offensive”.

Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool West Derby, also criticized the BBC’s decision on social media, stating, “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 discuss integrity in journalism. This is the individual who published horrific and now completely discredited lies about Hillsborough victims, lies that still cause great harm today. Shame on BBC Breakfast.”