Demonstrators protest against the BBC outside its London headquarters for refusing to use the term "terrorist" in relation to Hamas, Oct. 16, 2023. (Credit: Daniel Leal/AFP)
The war in the Gaza Strip is not just a military one. It is also unfolding in the field of communication and media. While Israel has put Al-Jazeera in its sights, others accuse Western media of being overly favorable to Israel. Revealed by the center-left British daily newspaper The Independent on Friday, Nov. 3, a letter signed anonymously by more than 200 people, including BBC employees, actors, historians, academics and politicians, denounced the lack of "consistently fair and accurate evidence-based journalism in its coverage of Gaza.”
This letter is particularly aimed at the public broadcaster, whose "erosion of its own editorial standards has put its impartiality and independence at serious risk," but also mentions the non-partisan private broadcaster ITV and the right-wing broadcaster Sky, which "enjoy high levels of public trust."
‘Israel must be held accountable’
Among other things, the signatories ask the media to reiterate that Israel does not give external journalists access to Gaza, to make it clear when there is insufficient evidence to back up Israeli claims, to include regular historical context predating the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and to use consistent language when discussing both Israeli and Palestinian deaths.
After more than a year of war in the Palestinian enclave, which has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 102,000 others, the letter denounces the significant consequences of "inadequate coverage." “Every television report, article and radio interview that has failed to robustly challenge Israeli claims has systematically dehumanized Palestinians.”
Finally, the letter calls on broadcasters to recommit to the highest editorial standards – emphasizing fairness, accuracy and due impartiality – and to exhibit the bravery they show in other story areas. Israel must be held to account for its actions, without fear or favor," concludes the letter signed by, among others, actress Juliet Stevenson and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi. The latter was elected to the House of Lords and left the Conservative party she once co-led in September after being criticized for her defense of a pro-Palestinian protester.
One of the examples cited by the signatories interviewed by The Independent was the headline of an article telling the story of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old girl who was killed by the Israeli army. The headline, however, read that she had been “found dead in Gaza days after phone calls for help.”
The signatories also criticized the fact that BBC failed to live broadcast South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, but chose to broadcast Israel's hearings the following day. Another practice denounced in the letter is the lack of credibility given to Palestinian sources, which portrays Israel’s version of events primacy despite the Israeli army’s well-documented track record of lying, a journalist told the newspaper.
The BBC criticized from both sides
This is not the first time that the BBC has been criticized for its coverage of the war in Gaza and deemed too favorable to Israel. A few weeks after the start of the Israeli offensive on the enclave in response to the deadly Hamas attacks, which by then had claimed over 14,000 Palestinian lives, a handful of its journalists criticized Al-Jazeera, on condition of anonymity, for its double standard, particularly in its way of dealing with civilian deaths.
Meanwhile, seven journalists working for BBC Arabic were suspended for failing to comply with the channel's impartiality guidelines, including Nada Abdelsamad, who had reposted a video on X showing Israeli citizens taking shelter, portraying them as "settlers" and Hamas as the "resistance."
More recently, in Lebanon, the BBC, among other international media outlets, was called out by Hezbollah for taking part in a tour organized by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, accusing it of visiting a village where Israel had violated Lebanese sovereignty.
Conversely, the channel was also bashed for refusing to use the term "terrorist" to describe the Islamist movement, knowing that it is classified as such by the United States and Great Britain. In May, then-British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged the BBC to identify Hamas in this way, but the broadcaster’s spokesman replied that the existing editorial policy remained valid. "We use the word 'terrorist' when it's attributed to others," he said, pointing out that the term was loaded and contravened the media outlet’s efforts to ensure objectivity. Along similar lines, the conservative daily The Telegraph denounced in August the refusal of BBC chairman Samir Shah to launch an internal inquiry into accusations of antisemitism, claiming that where mistakes had been made, action had been taken. A few months earlier, however, the broadcaster had acknowledged that there had been anti-Semitic behavior in its work environment and had condemned these actions.
Responding to the accusations in the letter published on Friday, the BBC denied any bias in its coverage of the war in Gaza, pointing out that it had received nearly as many complaints accusing it of having a pro-Israeli bias as it had from those alleging a pro-Palestinian bias. "When we make mistakes or have made changes to the way we report, we are transparent. We are also very clear with our audiences on the limitations put on our reporting," a BBC spokesperson told The Independent.
“This conflict is one of the most polarizing stories to report on, and we know people feel very strongly about how this is being reported, not only on the BBC but across all media. The BBC holds itself to very high standards, and we strive to live up to our responsibility to deliver the most trusted and impartial news – weighing and measuring the words we use, verifying facts, and seeking a wide range of interviews and expert opinion,” the BBC stated.
In July, in a letter signed by some 60 other media outlets, the broadcaster called on Israel to grant foreign media "immediate and independent access" to the Gaza Strip.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.
