BBC faces criticism from over 100 Staff on Gaza coverage 'bias'

More than 100 BBC staff members have accused the broadcaster of favouring Israel in its coverage of the war on Gaza, claiming it lacks “accurate evidence-based journalism” in its reporting.

The accusation was made in a letter sent on Friday to Director General Tim Davie and CEO Deborah Turness, as reported by The Independent.

“Basic journalistic tenets have been lacking when it comes to holding Israel to account for its actions,” the letter stated.

The signatories, who include over 100 anonymous BBC staff and more than 200 media professionals, historians, actors, academics, and politicians, urged the BBC to provide a balanced and accurate portrayal of the conflict.

The letter highlighted concerns that “inadequate coverage” has led to a “systematic dehumanisation” of Palestinians. It argued that reports failing to rigorously question Israeli narratives have significant consequences on public perception.

Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 43,259 Palestinians and injuries to 101,827, according to local health officials.

On the same day, Hamas-led attacks in Israel killed approximately 1,139 people and saw more than 200 taken captive.

The letter’s authors demanded the BBC implement editorial changes, including “reiterating that Israel does not give external journalists access to Gaza; making it clear when there is insufficient evidence to back up Israeli claims; making clear where Israel is the perpetrator in article headlines; including regular historical context predating October 2023; and robustly challenging Israeli government and military representatives in all interviews.”

The letter also emphasised that British media organisations like the BBC have a duty to “fearlessly follow the evidence,” noting that the BBC’s public funding through licence fees makes its impartiality “essential.” The signatories warned that perceived editorial biases could compromise the broadcaster’s independence.

Concerns of double standards were highlighted by an earlier letter from eight BBC journalists, addressed to Al Jazeera, which argued that BBC reporting exhibits a “hierarchy” of civilian lives, being “unflinching” in coverage of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine while allegedly falling short in Gaza.

In response, the BBC defended its coverage. A BBC spokesperson said on Friday, “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 – including the lack of access into Gaza and restricted access to parts of Lebanon.”