Both BBC and ITV’s political editors tweeted that a Labour Party activist punched an adviser for the Tory Party.
But, that was wrong. Both BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg and ITV political editor Robert Peston said they heard about the claim from anonymous sources, Press Gazette reported, and both have apologized or corrected.
Kuenssberg tweeted, “Happy to apologise for earlier confusion about the punch that wasn’t a punch outside Leeds General – 2 sources suggested it had happened but clear from video that was wrong.”
Peston tweeted, “It is completely clear from video footage that @MattHancock‘s adviser was not whacked by a protestor, as I was told by senior Tories, but that he inadvertently walked into a protestor’s hand. I apologise for getting this wrong.”
iMediaEthics has written to ITV and the BBC to ask if the error was shared anywhere else and what went wrong.