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December 4, 2008

BBC World Service under fire after pulling report

By Rachael

The NUJ has called for an investigation after BBC World Service pulled an episode of From Our Own Correspondent at the request of the Foreign Office.

The programme was about reporter Mary Harper contacting Somalian pirates, and had already been broadcast on Radio 4 and 48 times on the World Service network before the Foreign Office’s request.

Mike Workman, NUJ World Service news and current affairs father of the chapel, sent a letter to World Service director Nigel Chapman requesting an investigation. He said: ‘There may be that there was a good reason for the World Service decision but information from my members suggests otherwise.

‘I cannot emphasise the seriousness of the situation [enough]. This is an issue that could severely damage the World Service’s reputation for independent journalism because it looks as if we have given in to government pressure for no good reason.

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