‘This is dark s***’: inside the political smear campaign to discredit journalists

February 17
28 mins

Episode Description

Labour Together, the think tank which helped Sir Keir Starmer become prime minister, has been accused of paying a PR firm to investigate Sunday Times journalists. The subsequent report contained personal information and false claims about Whitehall editor Gabriel Pogrund’s faith and family background, including the incorrect suggestion he was part of a Russian conspiracy to bring down Starmer. So why did a political organisation pay for a smear campaign against journalists?


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory


Guests: 

  • Emanuele Midolo, investigations reporter, The Sunday Times. 
  • Ben Clatworthy, Whitehall editor, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Julia Webster, Micaela Arneson. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com


Read more: Labour activists paid for smear campaign against journalists

Clips: BBC, Times Radio, Channel 4 News, ITV News, Sky News, GB News. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See all episodes

Never lose your place, on any device

Create a free account to sync, back up, and get personal recommendations.