CAMERA UK and CAMERA Arabic are very pleased to have been able to contribute to a comprehensive new report compiled and edited by Danny Cohen, a former director of BBC Television, concerning BBC coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas, which can be read here.
Although our daily monitoring of Israel related BBC content long predates the war initiated by Hamas on October 7th 2023, the events of the past year have both highlighted existing issues – including the corporation’s refusal to describe terrorists as such, the lack of adequate oversight of BBC Arabic and the performance of its complaints system – and raised new concerns.
As the world’s largest media outlet and as Britain’s publicly funded national broadcaster, the BBC’s role in providing its audiences with accurate and impartial information in an era of ‘fake news’ is of prime importance.
For the BBC to regain public trust, an independent inquiry into its adherence to editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality in its coverage of Israel and Jewish affairs is crucial.
Commenting on the new report, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said:
“Few institutions are as vital for our national cultural identity or for the health of our democracy as the BBC. That’s why the content of this report, which records the repeated and longstanding failure to ensure impartial and accurate news coverage of the existential war that Israel is fighting on multiple fronts, is so profoundly troubling.
The data could not be clearer: wherever sustained misinformation and demonisation of Israel is found, incidents of anti-Jewish racism surge. That’s one of the reasons why the accuracy and objectivity of our national broadcaster is so important for the Jewish community. And of course beyond that, in an uncertain world the public needs to know that it can trust the BBC.
I know this is a matter that senior leaders at the BBC take seriously, but the multiple failings highlighted by the report show just how much work there is yet to do. In particular, I endorse the call for an independent inquiry, undertaken by personnel and with terms of reference that command the confidence of the Jewish community.
Trust in the BBC is crucial, but trust can only be restored when impartiality is upheld and accountability is ensured.”
British Jewish community organisations have also called for an independent inquiry:
