BBC News edited out boos in footage of Boris Johnson arriving at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Symonds arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022. (AP)
No, BBC News did not edit footage of Boris Johnson to remove boos upon his arrival
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• BBC News did not change or edit the sound in its videos, a spokesperson said. Footage was filmed by more than one video crew, and some clips included sound and video with no commentary, while other footage had sounds and video with commentary on top.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who prevailed this week during a vote of no-confidence by British lawmakers, arrived to boos and jeers at the Queen’s platinum jubilee thanksgiving service on June 3. But social media users claimed that BBC News glossed over the chilly reception for the politician.
One June 4 tweet says BBC News edited out boos in footage of Johnson’s arrival.
"The BBC showed footage of Johnson being booed later in the day with the boos edited out. WTF!" says the tweet. "Hey BBC, North Korea called, they said you’re nicking their f---ing propaganda methods."
The tweet included a 43-second video clip that shows the arrival of Johnson and his wife, Carrie, as royal historian Anna Whitelock provides commentary while talking with BBC presenter Jane Hill. It’s common for TV news to show video without sound while a commentator is speaking.
But BBC News did not change or edit the sound, a spokesperson told PolitiFact via email, adding that the outlet’s coverage clearly showed the crowd’s reaction to Johnson’s arrival.
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There were multiple BBC News crews filming, the spokesperson said.
Hill was filmed commentating live at the service, and other BBC coverage used a so-called "clean feed" of the arrivals, which is sound and pictures from another crew that did not have commentary on top, according to the spokesperson.
In another clip from BBC News, when Johnson arrived around 10:40 a.m., BBC presenter Hill notes there is "quite a lot of booing," which is audible in the video.
We rate the claim that the BBC edited out boos False.
Our Sources
Email interview, Anouska Russell, BBC News spokesperson, June 7, 2022
Internet archive, BBC News, June 3, 2022
Twitter post, June 4. 2022
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No, BBC News did not edit footage of Boris Johnson to remove boos upon his arrival
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