Meirion Jones

Meirion Jones is a British journalist. He worked for the BBC until 2015. In July 2016 he became Investigations Editor at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

In 2013 he won the London Press Awards Scoop of the Year prize for his part in the investigation into Jimmy Savile. 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. Former Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman described Jones in September 2016 as "a dogged journalist with that obsessional, slightly nutty commitment that marks out all successful investigative reporters". Jones has investigated many subjects including the alleged 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. He also worked with journalist Liz Mackean in late 2011 on a Newsnight investigation into the activities of suspected paedophile Jimmy Savile. Its rejection by their superior, (former) Newsnight editor Peter Rippon, ultimately led to a major scandal.

Jones was the first full-time Editor of the Cardiff student paper Gair Rhydd. He worked at Your Computer magazine then freelanced at New Scientist 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.

Jones was the joint producer with Owen Phillips of the Panorama about the ex-News of the World undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood called “Fake Sheikh: Exposed” which starting from the case of Tulisa Contostavlos alleged that many of Mazher Mahmood's investigations had been dishonest. The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright unsuccessfully wrote to the BBC asking them not to show the programme, presented by John Sweeney, in case it prejudiced any future trial, and Mahmood unsuccessfully tried to get an injunction to stop Panorama broadcasting recent video of him with no disguise. The broadcast was twice delayed and was finally transmitted on 12 November 2014. Following the programme the Crown Prosecution Service announced that they would reinvestigate 25 cases where people were convicted on Mahmood’s evidence.Mazher Mahmood was convicted in October 2016 of conspiring to pervert the course of justice in the Tulisa Contostavlos case and sentenced to 15 months in prison.

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