“We made every effort to see if these could be resolved in ways consistent with the requirements of our editorial guidelines.”
No Stone Unturned, the controversial documentary on the 1994 Loughinisland massacre, received its Irish TV premiere on RTÉ One on Wednesday.
But the documentary will not be aired on BBC, despite the broadcaster being involved in commissioning the documentary in 2017.
A BBC spokeswoman told Newsletter earlier this year that they “no longer have any involvement with this film,” and added: “We are unable to comment on the important legal and editorial considerations which prevented our continuing involvement with this film project.”
“BBC commissioning and broadcasting decisions are based on our editorial guidelines. Our news and other outputs continue to cover the events and legacies of what happened at Loughinisland in 1994.
“We made every effort to see if these [legal and editorial considerations] could be resolved in ways consistent with the requirements of our editorial guidelines.”
The documentary was thrust into the spotlight again recently after two investigative journalists who worked on the film, Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, were detained over the suspected theft of confidential documents relating to the killings.
In May of this year, three appeal judges at the High Court in Belfast quashed warrants for the arrest of Birney and McCaffrey, arising from their work on the documentary.
Speaking about RTÉ’s decision to air No Stone Unturned, Trevor Birney has said: “This is a very significant moment for this film not just for everyone involved in the production but for the families of those murdered in the Loughinisland massacre, who have campaigned for truth for over 25-years.
“We thank everyone at RTÈ who have shown faith in our journalism.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
