View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Libel damages for Newsround presenter from Indy

By PA Media Lawyer

A TV journalist has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages over a claim that he had behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner on a documentary assignment.

BBC correspondent and former Newsround presenter Lizo Mzimba sued The Independent over a story which appeared in its Pandora column in October 2009.

It repeated false allegations which had previously appeared in The Tab, a Cambridge University student publication, his solicitor, Jonathan Coad, told Mr Justice Tugendhat at the High Court today.

These were that Mzimba became so visibly intoxicated when visiting the University for the BBC that he would have been incapable of carrying out his duties, that he had behaved in an unwelcome and sexually inappropriate manner, and had ended up being rightly humiliated by a group of students who, after securing him to a wall with gaffer-tape, verbally mocked him.

“In fact, not one of these allegations was true,” said Coad, adding that the newspaper added a further false statement in saying Mzimba had declined to comment, when in fact he had been given no indication that an urgent reply to an e-mail was required within hours or that publication was imminent.

“The Independent’s untrue assertions that Mr Mzimba had behaved in the way described, together with the equally false allegation that at the time he was on a BBC engagement funded by the public through the BBC licence fee, have caused serious damage to his reputation, as well as significant distress and embarrassment,” said Coad.

He added that The Independent had undertaken not to repeat the allegations and had paid Mzimba “substantial damages” and his legal costs.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network