& Spencer.
On April 10, 1995, Jonathan Aitken (himself a former journalist for Yorkshire Television) called a televised press conference three hours before the transmission of a World in Action film, Jonathan of Arabia, demanding that allegations about his dealings with leading Saudis be withdrawn. In a phrase that would come to haunt him, Aitken promised to wield “the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play … to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism.” Aitken was subsequently sentenced to 18 months in prison for perjuring himself in the libel case.. World in Action followed the collapse of Aitken’s libel case with a special edition whose title reflected the MP’s claim to wield the “sword of truth”. It was called The Dagger of Deceit. Television techniques
Although the series’ lasting reputation is for its investigative work, it also