Summary:
The BBC has been accused of leaking details of a story about the naming of a US jihadist as Jihadi John.

Full article:
The BBC came under fire last night for claiming it had ‘broken’ the story about the naming of Jihadi John when the Washington Post had revealed his identity an hour earlier. The US newspaper published its story at 9.45am GMT yesterday, while the BBC broadcast its first message on Twitter and put the story online at 10.51am. Washington Post reporter Adam Goldman complained: ‘I love the BBC but they don’t have much of the story: Souad Mekhennet [his colleague on the Washington Post] and I own this.’ The BBC published a story online and on Twitter at 10.51am GMT claimed to have unmasked Jihadi John, while the Washington Post published their story at 9.45am GMT (file image) The Washington Post is understood to have known about the story for several days but held back on publication until yesterday morning for editorial reasons. Its reporters strongly denied passing the story to the BBC. Miss Mekhennet said: ‘Can’t say how [the] BBC heard about it, but not from us.’ As part of their investigations, the newspaper’s reporters spoke to UK campaign group Cage, which describes itself as ‘an independent advocacy organisation working to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror’. There was speculation last night that Cage may have been the BBC’s source. Washington Post reporter Adam Goldman and colleague Souad Mekhennet who broke the story said they have never spoken to the BBC about their discovery .