Regular readers will be aware of BBC Watch’s long-standing documentation of the BBC’s problematic portrayal of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign (BDS). For years the corporation has reported related stories without adequately clarifying to audiences in its own words that what that campaign ultimately seeks to achieve is the end of Israel as the Jewish state. Moreover, in August 2015, we learned that the BBC considers the provision of such crucial background information “not our role“.
In 2019 we saw that even when covering stories directly related to individual supporters of the BDS campaign, the BBC continued to avoid the obviously central issue of what the campaign they promote is actually about.
Such was the case for example in the generous BBC amplification of the story of Omar Shakir of ‘Human Rights Watch’. Descriptions of the BDS campaign were qualified using the phrase “Israel says” and suggested reading twice included a link to a previous BBC report promoting the falsehood that the BDS campaign solely relates to a “cultural boycott” of Israel.
BBC News report uncritically amplifies political NGO’s talking points
A third superficial BBC News website report on ‘Human Rights Watch’
Listeners to BBC World Service radio were inaccurately informed that the BDS campaign is “Palestinian led” and given a false portrayal of its aims.
BBC WS radio facilitates unchallenged HRW monologue – part one
The same editorial policy was also seen in BBC coverage of stories relating to two BDS supporting US Congresswomen. Although the topic of the agenda of the BDS campaign was obviously relevant to the story, audiences were not provided with a proper explanation.
BBC R4 report on antisemitism in the US uses the Livingstone Formulation
In one report BBC audiences were told that the “aim” of the BDS campaign is “to put economic pressure on the Israeli government”. In others, no effort whatsoever was made to inform audiences what the two Congresswomen actually support.
Superficial BBC reporting of Tlaib and Omar story
BBC Radio 4’s uncritical amplification of Ilhan Omar’s falsehood
BBC WS radio listeners get Ashrawi’s unchallenged propaganda
BBC audiences saw amplification of a specific boycott campaign, inadequate portrayal of the BDS campaign which did not allow readers to put a quote into context and quotes from BDS supporters who were not identified as such.
But by far the most intense campaign conducted by the BBC throughout 2019 related to the Eurovision Song Contest. Having rejected the calls of BDS supporters to boycott the event in Tel Aviv, the BBC then spent four months amplifying such campaigns, with an epilogue two months later.
BBC News Eurovision BDS report follows the usual template
BBC Radio Ulster audiences hear that ‘Israel should be wiped off the map’
BBC News website ignores counter call to boycott it repeatedly promoted
More Eurovision boycott promotion on BBC Radio 5 live
Newsbeat continues the BBC’s Eurovision framing
Context-free amplification of Eurovision boycott calls persists at BBC News
BBC gives multi-platform amplification to antisemitism
BBC’s ‘Newsbeat’ amplifies the BDS campaign yet again
Some of those reports included descriptions of the BDS campaign which were qualified using the phrase “Israel says” while others included inaccurate portrayals of the campaign as a “Palestinian led movement” which “calls on artists to avoid performing in Israel”. None of that content clarified to audiences in the BBC’s own words that the BDS campaign is opposed to Jews having the basic human right to self-determination in their own country and that denial of Israel’s right to exist is considered – including by the UN Secretary General and according to the definition adopted by the UK government – to be a form of antisemitism.
The adoption of that partisan editorial policy – especially while providing self-conscripted amplification for the BDS campaign – clearly does not serve the interests of the BBC’s funding public but does seriously compromise the BBC’s claim to be ‘impartial’.
Related Articles:
Reviewing BBC reporting on the BDS campaign in 2017
Reviewing BBC reporting on the BDS campaign in 2018
