Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Guardian Unlimited
Panorama backs Sweeney episode

PAYING THE PRICE: John Sweeney

Watch John Sweeney's rant

Mark Sweney
Monday May 14, 2007

MediaGuardian.co.uk

The Panorama editor, Sandy Smith, has defended tonight's controversial John Sweeney investigation into the Church of Scientology.

Mr Smith said tonight's Panorama would feature the YouTube clip of Sweeney losing his temper and shouting at Scientology representative Tommy Davis after he accused the BBC reporter of giving a critic of the faith an easy ride in an interview.

Footage of the scene, which was filmed by the Scientologists, was posted on YouTube last week and Sweeney has apologised for the outburst.

Mr Smith, speaking on BBC Breakfast today, said he was showing the clip of the row because it had been on YouTube and the BBC had been criticised for it, not because the corporation was proud of it.

He admitted that he was "disappointed" with Mr Sweeney. But Mr Smith said he was showing a portrait of an "extraordinary organisation" which would not accept any criticism whatsoever.

Mr Smith added that Sweeney had been shown a Scientology exhibition about psychiatry, which showed torture imagery, and his interviews had also been interrupted.

He said the situation that led to the Sweeney rant that ended up on YouTube "all came to a head" when the Panorama reporter had been accused of being "too soft" on an interviewee.

"Very quickly, two stag beetles were locked," he added.

It was "not a question of calling it a cult" and the programme had not alleged that people were "brainwashed", he said.

Mr Smith added that the church had "no way of dealing with any kind of criticism at all".

"As you go in as a journalist to try and deal with that, it's explosive," he said.

He added he was dealing with a situation in which the church had released a video accusing Panorama of "staging" a demonstration outside one of its offices in London, including a "terrorist death threat" against Scientologists - "the BBC accused of terrorism".

Mr Smith said the church did give a formal interview over a day and a half, and wanted the BBC to talk to celebrities including actress Kirstie Alley.

"They lined them up one after the other. They talked about what it meant to them. They were convincing," he added.

He said Alley in particular was "very persuasive". But he added that after requests from a group of "California lawyers" that the BBC could not use the interviews, it was decided not to include them in tonight's Panorama.

"In a sense, they had shot themselves in the foot with their attempt to balance the film, Mr Smith said.

"It doesn't claim to be the definitive Scientology film, we may have to do that another time."

Mr Sweeney, writing on the BBC's website, admitted he looked like an "exploding tomato" during the row and had fallen into an "elephant trap".

"The battleground is YouTube and Scientology's weapon is a clip of me losing it in the Mind Control section of a gruesome exhibition," he said. "Top Scientologist Tommy 'Don't mention the word cult' Davis had been goading me all week, and on the seventh day I fell into his elephant trap. He shouted at me and I shouted back, louder."

The Scientologists shadowed Sweeney with their own camera team and have distributed DVDs cricitising the BBC's methods to MPs, civil servants, religious groups, media organisations and business leaders.

The DVD accuses the BBC of staging a demonstration outside a Scientology office in London that included "terrorist death threats" against the Scientologists.

A BBC spokesman has described these allegations as "clearly laughable and utter nonsense".