Following the public consultation which took place late last year, the BBC has published new editorial guidelines which will come into effect on September 1st 2025.
The BBC has also published documentation of “Changes to the Guidelines following consultation” which includes the following:
“The two biggest Guidelines issues that arose were in relation to gender identity and language around the use of the word ‘terrorist’. […]
A number of respondents argued that Hamas should always be called ‘terrorists’ and/or that the BBC should always refer to the Home Office’s list of proscribed organisations as ‘terrorist organisations’. The revised Guidelines on Impartiality (section 2), Accuracy (section 3). Conflicts of Interest (section 4) and War, Terror and Extreme Violence, Disaster and Disorder (section 12) are very clear on the requirements on the BBC when it comes to covering war and any terror related issues. The BBC does not ban the use of the word ‘terrorist’, but the Guidelines require it to be used with attribution. It was felt that no further changes were required.”
And:
“Camera UK argued that it can take too long for corrections to be made to online material. The wording, ‘in a timely manner’ has therefore been added to 3.4.35 so it now reads:
3.4.35 Where there is an expectation that content will be permanently available, such as on BBC News Online; or is available on demand, such as on BBC iPlayer, serious breaches of editorial standards must be corrected and the error acknowledged in a timely manner. In exceptional cases, content may be removed. It should be clear what changes have been made, unless there are editorial or legal reasons not to do so.
Where mistakes are unlikely to be a serious breach of editorial standards, a correction should be published on that platform, so that it is visible before the output is re-played. Such on-demand content does not then normally need to be changed or revoked.”
CAMERA UK’s submission to the consultation can be found here.
