[matthieu1221]

Some of the criticism aimed at Laura K here is rather silly and over the top, in line with much of the commentary around her.

In terms of speculation, every broadcaster was guilty of this and it helped to fill a nice gap for media outlets between results on Friday night and Saturday afternoon when everything became a little dead.

If there are rumours/speculation of a particular angle, that should be reported sensibly - with a strong caveat that it is a rumour. It is how the basis of most reporting works - you cannot praise the method when it gets you scoops early, but lambast it the handful of times it is incorrect. The suggestions that outlets should not report informed ‘speculation’ is ridiculous - the news business is a competition and always has been.

As for speculating before any votes have been counted, it’s clear that those commenting here have no understanding whatsoever of the verification process and how this is used at counting centres to give an early indication. I would recommend reading up on this before being quite so confident in your criticisms…

Verification-led prediction is difficult on a London-wide scale with a million+ votes. Much easier on a constituency level at GEs. There's big health and safety warning that needs to be given whenever it's used. Even on a constituency-based level, they are incredibly diverse in London. Barnet and Camden for instance where Kate Ferguson from the Sun claimed Hall was ahead -- highly suspect, if she was stating it in good faith, that she was getting the idea from ballot boxes opened from Barnet rather than Camden.

There's also a difference between reporting it as 'Labour and Tory sources claim that the race is tighter than the polls show' and reporting it as fact. Just as well, when Labour sources claimed before the BBC, Sky and other outlets made their own projections that Labour had won London, it was reported that it was Labour sources that indicated that rather than reporting it as fact. So it can be done, and most of the time it is done with that little caveat.