Statisticians from the Office for National Statistics have been placed with ITV News and Channel 4 News to help with data checking during general election coverage, GB News reports, citing The Telegraph.
The ONS says on its website that it first sent a senior statistician to work alongside news producers during the 2015 campaign, widened the scheme in 2017 and, at the following election, provided one to each major broadcaster. The officials remained civil servants bound by the Civil Service Code, and the ONS said their advice was given in confidence.
Both broadcasters said editorial decisions always stayed with their own journalists and editors. The BBC said it had paused a similar secondment scheme while it reviewed the terms. Rebecca Paul, the shadow culture secretary, said taxpayers should not be paying for officials to help private broadcasters and called for clarity over who approved the placements.
Source: GB News
