Politics Home | Cross-Party Group Of MPs Write To Press Regulator Over Jason Arday Coverage
Cross-party MPs and peers have written a letter, organised by Labour MP Afzal Khan, to IPSO concerning the treatment of Professor Jason Arday. (Alamy) 4 min read45 min A cross-party group of MPs and peers has asked the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) to investigate media coverage of Jason Arday. In a letter to IPSO Chief Executive Charlotte Dewar, organised by Labour MP Afzal Khan and seen by PoliticsHome, more than 50 parliamentarians say reporting on the former Cambridge academic before his death “reached far beyond what can reasonably be perceived as conducive to the public interest in relation to his alleged plagiarism”. The letter argues it is “not unreasonable to suggest that the colour of Dr Arday’s skin was a contributing factor in garnering the level of media scrutiny he faced”, and that “Arday’s white counterparts at the University of Cambridge alone faced allegations that did not result in the same level of attention or affect.” “His story went beyond the accusation of plagiarism and became one that critiqued him because he was Black,” the letter reads. “Elements of the press repeatedly blamed …
