Does BBC Verify need to review the Beeb’s own output?

Much has been made about the BBC’s new Verify service, launched last week. According to the Corporation’s glutinous press release, the 60-strong team represents a ‘new brand to address the growing threat of disinformation and build trust with audiences by transparently showing how BBC journalists know the information they are reporting.’ But does such diligent fact-checking need to start at home?

Steerpike couldn’t help noticing some rather odd editing by BBC Breakfast today in their segment on the tragic deaths of two teenagers in Cardiff. The footage aired by Sky News shows an electric bike caught on CCTV whizzing through the streets of the Welsh capital, followed 15 seconds later by a police van. But the footage aired by the BBC this morning shows the police van materialising Star Trek-like out of thin air, just behind the bike.

The accompanying BBC voiceover doesn’t highlight the edit, which arguably gives quite important context when there is a debate over the role which the police ‘pursuit’ played in the boy’s deaths.