Meirion Jones
Encyclopedia
Meirion Jones is a British journalist working as Investigations Producer on the BBC Two
Newsnight
programme.
In 2010 he won the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Daniel Pearl Award for his investigation of the dumping of Trafigura
’s toxic waste in Africa. He has been described by Greg Palast
, as “the nonpareil investigative journalist” and by Robin Denselow in UK Press Gazette as "one of the best investigative journalists around". Jones has investigated many subjects including the 'fixing' of the US Presidential Election in 2000, toxic waste dumping in Africa, how Britain helped Israel’s nuclear weapons programme, market-rigging by
multinationals, bogus bomb detectors, Tsunami aid, terror and security,
political scandals and financial scams.
where he wrote about everything from food poisoning to how to phase out the CFCs which at the time were damaging the ozone layer. He has also written freelance for The Guardian
, The Daily Telegraph
and The Independent
.
came to be illegally dumped in Abidjan in Africa rather than safely disposed of in the Netherlands. According to the government of Ivory Coast 16 people died and thousands were poisoned by the waste. The films were made in the face of pressure from Trafigura’s lawyers Carter-Ruck
who were attempting to close down press coverage of Trafigura’s role in the scandal. Ultimately Carter-Ruck even attempted to use a super-injunction to stop The Guardian reporting mentions of Trafigura in Parliament. In response to the pressure Jones set up a network of international journalists and investigators to share information on the dumping, informally known as “Team Trafigura”. As David Leigh
of The Guardian wrote "This time, the reporters were determined not to be picked off one by one. They included journalists from Norway, the Netherlands and Estonia, and Meirion Jones from BBC Two's Newsnight, which has led the way in doggedly analysing Trafigura's activities." In April 2010 the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists gave the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting to the members of that team for exposing “how a powerful offshore oil trader tried to cover up the poisoning of 30,000 West Africans”. The six named on the award were Meirion Jones and reporter Liz Mackean from Newsnight, David Leigh from The Guardian, Kjersti Knudsson and Synnove Bakke from NRK in Norway and Jeroen Trommelen from De Volksrant in the Netherlands. In July 2010, Jones and Mackean reported on the final conviction of Trafigura in the Dutch courts for illegally exporting toxic waste to Africa. The Trafigura row along with the Simon Singh
case and others has helped motivate the Libel Reform Campaign which has persuaded the British government to begin reform of the libel laws in 2011.
operations, which attempt to divert into their own pockets, the money given by Western governments to pay off the debts of poor countries. The Vultures buy up the debt cheaply, and then when it is about to be written off, sue for the full value plus interest often in the British courts. These films formed the centrepiece of a campaign backed by Oxfam
and the Jubilee Debt Campaign to outlaw this practice through a Debt Relief Bill. The first film in 2007 exposed an American vulture who liked to call himself 'Goldfinger' who was suing Zambia. It was rebroadcast in the USA and seen by two Congressmen who immediately went to the White House and asked President Bush face-to-face to curb the vulture funds. The last film which focused on vultures suing Liberia was broadcast in February 2010 on the eve of the Second Reading of the UK Debt Relief Bill. The bill became law. In November 2010 the funds who had been suing Liberia had to agree to accept around $1 million which they were entitled to under the new act rather than the $43 million which had been awarded by the British courts.
was fined £10 million for rigging the market for Gaviscon following an investigation by Jones and Martin Shankleman. Ann Pope, senior director at the OFT said "This important case was brought to our attention by BBC Newsnight, after a whistleblower took his story to the programme. The fine announced today sends a clear signal to businesses in a dominant position that we will take strong action against this sort of anti-competitive behaviour."
on nuclear weapons and Israel which revealed for the first time how Britain had helped Israel's nuclear weapons programme. Papers obtained through Freedom of Information
showed how the UK had secretly exported the heavy water to Israel to start up the Dimona nuclear reactor and had supplied Israel with samples
of uranium 235, plutonium and lithium 6. Jones wrote a print version of the revelations which New Statesman
ran as their cover story.
, Alpha 6
and similar products was the result of an investigation by Jones and the BBC's former Baghdad correspondent Caroline Hawley
broadcast that day which showed that the detectors did not and could not work. Hundreds of people may have died in blasts in Baghdad after bombers passed
through checkpoints that were only protected by these bogus bomb detectors. A police investigation is continuing into the companies that made these so-called detectors.
. Jones and Palast have been working together since 1998 and have made more than a dozen investigative films on subjects such as oil and the war in Iraq, the Bin Laden family, the Bush family, the coup against Chavez, and Vulture Funds.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
programme.
In 2010 he won the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Daniel Pearl Award for his investigation of the dumping of Trafigura
Trafigura
Trafigura is an Amsterdam-based multinational company founded in 1993 trading in base metals and energy, including oil. the company had equity of more than $2 billion and a turnover of $73 billion that generated $440 million of profit....
’s toxic waste in Africa. He has been described by Greg Palast
Greg Palast
Gregory Allyn Palast is a New York Times-bestselling author and a freelance journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation as well as the British newspaper The Observer. His work frequently focuses on corporate malfeasance but has also been known to work with labor unions and consumer...
, as “the nonpareil investigative journalist” and by Robin Denselow in UK Press Gazette as "one of the best investigative journalists around". Jones has investigated many subjects including the 'fixing' of the US Presidential Election in 2000, toxic waste dumping in Africa, how Britain helped Israel’s nuclear weapons programme, market-rigging by
multinationals, bogus bomb detectors, Tsunami aid, terror and security,
political scandals and financial scams.
Early career
Jones was the first full-time Editor of the Cardiff student paper "Gair Rhydd". He worked at Your Computer magazine then freelanced at New ScientistNew Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
where he wrote about everything from food poisoning to how to phase out the CFCs which at the time were damaging the ozone layer. He has also written freelance for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
.
Trafigura
Jones has made a series of films over three years exposing how toxic waste from the oil trader TrafiguraTrafigura
Trafigura is an Amsterdam-based multinational company founded in 1993 trading in base metals and energy, including oil. the company had equity of more than $2 billion and a turnover of $73 billion that generated $440 million of profit....
came to be illegally dumped in Abidjan in Africa rather than safely disposed of in the Netherlands. According to the government of Ivory Coast 16 people died and thousands were poisoned by the waste. The films were made in the face of pressure from Trafigura’s lawyers Carter-Ruck
Carter-Ruck
Carter-Ruck is a British law firm founded by Peter Carter-Ruck.According to their website they specialise in libel, privacy, international law and commercial litigation....
who were attempting to close down press coverage of Trafigura’s role in the scandal. Ultimately Carter-Ruck even attempted to use a super-injunction to stop The Guardian reporting mentions of Trafigura in Parliament. In response to the pressure Jones set up a network of international journalists and investigators to share information on the dumping, informally known as “Team Trafigura”. As David Leigh
David Leigh
David Leigh is a British journalist and author, currently investigations executive editor of The Guardian.-Early life:Leigh was born in 1946 and educated at Nottingham High School and King's College, Cambridge, receiving a research degree from Cambridge in 1968.-Career:Leigh has been a prominent...
of The Guardian wrote "This time, the reporters were determined not to be picked off one by one. They included journalists from Norway, the Netherlands and Estonia, and Meirion Jones from BBC Two's Newsnight, which has led the way in doggedly analysing Trafigura's activities." In April 2010 the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists gave the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting to the members of that team for exposing “how a powerful offshore oil trader tried to cover up the poisoning of 30,000 West Africans”. The six named on the award were Meirion Jones and reporter Liz Mackean from Newsnight, David Leigh from The Guardian, Kjersti Knudsson and Synnove Bakke from NRK in Norway and Jeroen Trommelen from De Volksrant in the Netherlands. In July 2010, Jones and Mackean reported on the final conviction of Trafigura in the Dutch courts for illegally exporting toxic waste to Africa. The Trafigura row along with the Simon Singh
Simon Singh
Simon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner....
case and others has helped motivate the Libel Reform Campaign which has persuaded the British government to begin reform of the libel laws in 2011.
Vulture funds
Since 2007 Jones and Greg Palast have been investigating Vulture fundVulture fund
A vulture fund is a private equity or hedge fund that invests in debt issued by an entity that is considered to be very weak or dying, or whose debt is in imminent default. The name is a metaphor comparing these investors to vultures patiently circling, waiting to pick over the remains of a rapidly...
operations, which attempt to divert into their own pockets, the money given by Western governments to pay off the debts of poor countries. The Vultures buy up the debt cheaply, and then when it is about to be written off, sue for the full value plus interest often in the British courts. These films formed the centrepiece of a campaign backed by Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
and the Jubilee Debt Campaign to outlaw this practice through a Debt Relief Bill. The first film in 2007 exposed an American vulture who liked to call himself 'Goldfinger' who was suing Zambia. It was rebroadcast in the USA and seen by two Congressmen who immediately went to the White House and asked President Bush face-to-face to curb the vulture funds. The last film which focused on vultures suing Liberia was broadcast in February 2010 on the eve of the Second Reading of the UK Debt Relief Bill. The bill became law. In November 2010 the funds who had been suing Liberia had to agree to accept around $1 million which they were entitled to under the new act rather than the $43 million which had been awarded by the British courts.
Market rigging
On 15 October 2010 the multi-national Reckitt BenckiserReckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser plc is a global consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of household products and a major producer of consumer healthcare and personal products...
was fined £10 million for rigging the market for Gaviscon following an investigation by Jones and Martin Shankleman. Ann Pope, senior director at the OFT said "This important case was brought to our attention by BBC Newsnight, after a whistleblower took his story to the programme. The fine announced today sends a clear signal to businesses in a dominant position that we will take strong action against this sort of anti-competitive behaviour."
Nuclear weapons and Israel
In 2005-6 Meirion Jones made three films with Michael CrickMichael Crick
Michael Crick is a British journalist, author and broadcaster. Crick was a founding member of the Channel 4 News Team in 1982. He worked on the BBC's Newsnight between 1992 and 2011, acting as the programme's political editor from 2007 to his departure...
on nuclear weapons and Israel which revealed for the first time how Britain had helped Israel's nuclear weapons programme. Papers obtained through Freedom of Information
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
showed how the UK had secretly exported the heavy water to Israel to start up the Dimona nuclear reactor and had supplied Israel with samples
of uranium 235, plutonium and lithium 6. Jones wrote a print version of the revelations which New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
ran as their cover story.
Bogus bomb detectors
On 22 January 2010 the British government announced that it would ban the export of “magic wand” type bomb detectors to Iraq and Afghanistan because of the danger to British and allied troops. The ban on the ADE651, GT200GT200
The GT200 is a fraudulent "remote substance detector" that is claimed by its manufacturer, UK-based Global Technical Ltd, to be able to detect from a distance various substances including explosives and drugs...
, Alpha 6
Alpha 6
The Alpha 6 is a controversial "molecular detector" that is claimed to be able to detect from a distance various substances including explosives and drugs...
and similar products was the result of an investigation by Jones and the BBC's former Baghdad correspondent Caroline Hawley
Caroline Hawley
Caroline Hawley is a British journalist who has been a Special Correspondent for the BBC News channel since 2007.Hawley is the daughter of British diplomat Sir Donald Hawley, She was educated at Wycombe Abbey School, an independent school for girls in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, followed by...
broadcast that day which showed that the detectors did not and could not work. Hundreds of people may have died in blasts in Baghdad after bombers passed
through checkpoints that were only protected by these bogus bomb detectors. A police investigation is continuing into the companies that made these so-called detectors.
Olympics cash for gold medals scandal
Jones and Anna Adams uncovered evidence of secret payments of nine million dollars from Azerbaijan to a competition called World Series Boxing run by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) which organises boxing at the Olympics. Whistleblowers from inside AIBA/WSB claimed that WSB's chief said the money was in return for a guarantee that Azerbaijani fighters would win two boxing gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics. AIBA and WSB admit they received the money but deny there was any deal to guarantee Azerbaijan gold medals at London. The Ethics Committee of the International Olympic Committee has now asked the BBC for their evidence so they can investigate. Days later the Daily Mail revealed that the rules at the World Boxing Championships, which AIBA had already controversially moved to Baku, had been switched "to favour Azerbaijan" and give them a better chance of qualifying boxers for the Olympics.United States Presidential election 2000
Jones and Greg Palast revealed how many black voters in Florida had been barred from voting in the 2000 election by a purge of the Florida Central Voter FileFlorida Central Voter File
The Florida Central Voter File was an internal list of legally eligible voters used by the US Florida Department of State Division of Elections to monitor the official voter lists maintained by the 67 county governments in the State of Florida between 1998 and January 1, 2006...
. Jones and Palast have been working together since 1998 and have made more than a dozen investigative films on subjects such as oil and the war in Iraq, the Bin Laden family, the Bush family, the coup against Chavez, and Vulture Funds.