Reeta Chakrabarti commented on the BBC Panorama scandal.
BBC journalist and correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti spoke about the importance of impartiality in the wake of the Panorama scandal.
During Leeds Trinity University’s Journalism & Media Week, Chakrabarti addressed the resignation of BBC Director General Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness. “It’s a difficult time, a destabilising time,” she said, adding that she was “personally sorry” to see both senior figures leave. Chakrabarti added that it was “strange” to report on the BBC while part of the organisation, but she still brings “impartiality and dispassion” to the coverage.
Reeta Chakrabarti, 60, began her journalism career at BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4 before she became a BBC correspondent in 1997. Over the last thirty years, she has covered the Stephen Lawrence inquest, reported live from war zones in Ukraine and Israel, and followed political elections.
Addressing journalism students at Leeds Trinity University, Chakrabarti spoke about the importance of their viewers and fact-based reporting in the newsroom. “It’s the audience you’ve got to have in the front of your mind all the time,” she said, “they want news that is clear, factual and impartial”.
Chakrabarti spoke positively about her BBC career and highlighted the broadcaster’s place in global news. “We can bring you reports that you won’t get elsewhere” said Chakrabarti, citing the recent war in Sudan as an example. “We take that public service duty seriously”.
Chakrabarti said that she believes the core principles of journalism are to be “accurate, [have] no agenda and impartial”. However, she stated that audiences have their own “personal and civic” responsibility when it comes to news consumption. Using social media as an example, Chakrabarti said:
“Ask yourself, how can they know that? How close to the story are they? Where are they getting their information from? Are they anywhere near what’s going on? Maybe they’re not as reliable as they’re making themselves out to be.”
Reeta Chakrabarti discussing her career and not being afraid to seize opportunities.
Chakrabarti also urged future journalists to not be afraid of failure in their career. “I did fail, and I was gutted, and I never thought I was going to get anywhere,” she said. However, Chakrabarti said she always asked for feedback and reminded students that journalism is “an industry where you’re rewarded for being pushy”.
Outside of the newsroom, the journalist published her first fiction novel ‘Finding Belle’ earlier this year. Chakrabarti said that she “always wanted to write a novel” and cited her love of Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ as an inspiration. She has revealed that there is a second novel in the works with the aim to publish it in 2027.
Finally, when asked about if she would ever participate in Strictly Come Dancing, Chakrabarti said her focus is on writing for now, even if she does love dancing “badly” at home.