BBC defends Novak Djokovic interview after heavy criticism

The BBC have issued a statement defending their interview with Novak Djokovic after receiving heavy backlash for proposedly giving a platform to anti-vaccination rhetoric with a lack of balance.

In an interview with the BBC, Djokovic distanced himself from the anti-vaccination movements but reiterated his intention to remain unvaccinated. He even went as far as to say he will sacrifice Grand Slams if vaccinations are made mandatory. This will mean he is now the only unvaccinated player within the ATP top 100.

As a result of the interview, the BBC received heavy criticism from other news publications and viewers for giving a large platform to anti-vaccination rhetoric. As such, they have since released a statement defending their interview.

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It read:

"We received complaints from some viewers who felt Novak Djokovic’s interview was given too much prominence and felt it is irresponsible for the BBC to provide him with a platform to air his views against the Covid-19 vaccine.

The BBC’s exclusive interview is the first time Novak Djokovic has spoken about his position himself, and our news editors judged that the interview was of genuine significance and was of interest to our audience, particularly in light of what unfolded in the build-up of the Australian Open in January.

We appreciate that not everyone will agree with our choice of story running orders, but we consider that this has been a big ongoing news story which also encompasses key issues such as mandatory vaccination and international travel restrictions."