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Was it wrong for the BBC to interview Marine Le Pen?

The Local France
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Was it wrong for the BBC to interview Marine Le Pen?
Photo: BBC

The BBC has been forced to defend its decision to broadcast an interview with French far right leader Marine Le Pen on Remembrance Sunday. How should the media approach the French far right leader?

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Le Pen was interviewed by Andrew Marr but the journalist and his bosses came under fire for giving air time to a far right leader on a day when Britain was remembering those who died in the world wars.

Andrew Marr recorded a video defending his decision to interview Le Pen who "under certain circumstances could become the next president of France."

In it Marr said: "In the end we are a news organisation and I don't think the best way to honour the fallen is to fail to report on the next big challenge to western security."

And the programme’s editor Rob Burley took to the battleground of Twitter, where the corporation had come under fire, to explain why it was important to interview Le Pen. 

In the interview Le Pen said: "Clearly, Donald Trump's victory is an additional stone in the building of a new world, destined to replace the old one."

Le Pen is regularly interviewed on French TV, which has to adhere to strict rules about the amount of air time given to each political party.

Following Donald Trump's victory last week she was given a prime time slot on French TV, where she expressed her delight at the outcome of the US presidential election.

So how should the media treat the nationalist leader Marine Le Pen?

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