Editing Martin Bashir (section)

===Michael Jackson interviews===
In 2003, while working at ITV, Bashir conducted a series of interviews with American singer [[Michael Jackson]] for the documentary ''[[Living with Michael Jackson]]'', part of the ''Tonight with Trevor McDonald'' series for ITV. The interviews were arranged through Jackson's friend, [[Uri Geller]]. Bashir followed the singer for eight months.<ref name="Gdn200320030122">{{cite news|last = Wells|first = Matt|url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jan/22/broadcasting.g2 |title = Talk to me | work = [[The Guardian]]| date = 22 January 2003|access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref> However, Bashir's colleagues have claimed that he secured the Jackson interview only after promising him they would plan a trip for Jackson to [[Africa]] to visit children with [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]], accompanied by [[Kofi Annan]], then [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|UN Secretary-General]]; when this was put to Bashir, while under [[oath]] in a [[Judiciary of California|California court]], he refused to answer.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Heffer|first=Simon|date=10 November 2020|title=Martin Bashir's dirty tricks were an open secret – yet the BBC tolerated them|work=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/martin-bashirs-dirty-tricks-open-secret-yet-bbc-tolerated/|access-date=12 November 2020|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

After the broadcast, which was seen by 14 million in the UK and 38 million in the US, Jackson complained to the [[Independent Television Commission]] and the [[Broadcasting Standards Commission]], accusing Bashir of [[yellow journalism]]. Jackson and his personal cameraman released a rebuttal interview, which showed Bashir complimenting Jackson for the "spiritual" quality of the [[Neverland Ranch]]. After Jackson's death in 2009, Dieter Wiesner, Jackson's manager from 1996 to 2003, said of Jackson's response to Bashir's documentary:
{{cquote|It broke him. It killed him. He took a long time to die, but it started that night. Previously the drugs were a crutch, but after that they became a necessity.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/5704635/Former-manager-unveils-scale-of-Michael-Jacksons-drug-use.html |title=Former manager unveils scale of Michael Jackson's drug use |access-date=12 November 2020|date=1 July 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107234309/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/5704635/Former-manager-unveils-scale-of-Michael-Jacksons-drug-use.html |archive-date=7 November 2020 }} <!-- Article published on a Wednesday. --></ref>
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Bashir later said during ABC's coverage of Jackson's death:
{{cquote|I think it's worth remembering he was probably, singly, the greatest dancer and musician the world has ever seen. Certainly, when I made the documentary, there was a small part of that which contained a controversy concerning his relationship with other young people. But the truth is that he was never convicted of any crime, I never saw any wrongdoing myself and whilst his lifestyle may have been a bit unorthodox, I don't believe it was criminal and I think the world has now lost the greatest entertainer it's probably ever known.<ref name=greatest>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/MeEEODRn6Ik Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110917131826/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeEEODRn6Ik&gl=US&hl=en&amp;has_verified=1 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeEEODRn6Ik|title=Bashir: The Greatest Entertainer Has Died|last=ABC News|date=25 June 2009|access-date=26 March 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}