You can't get any more "impartial" than the forensic methodology of this documentary, but we've gotten to the point where any objectivity when it comes to Israel is considered "partiality" against them.
At least Channel 4 is airing the documentary, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, if my time zone calculations are correct, in about half an hour from now?
independent.co.uk/news/world/mâŠ
How a BBC documentary on doctors in Gaza spiralled into a bitter impartiality row
The documentary, being broadcast on Wednesday night, came close to not being seen at all on British TV after months of delayed dates, acrimonious negotiations and concerns over partiality, writes Rachel ClunRachel Clun (The Independent)
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Ned Yeung
in reply to Ned Yeung • • •'More than a hundred BBC employees have written a letter to the director general, Tim Davie, complaining that the Corporation has become a mouthpiece for Israel.
It was also signed by 300 other journalists and media professionals: one of them was yours truly. The BBC employees, as you would expect, are all anonymous, because otherwise they would face grave consequences to their careers.
The letter says:
Weâre writing to express our concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine. We believe the refusal to broadcast the documentary âGaza: Medics Under Fireâ is just one in a long line of agenda driven decisions. It demonstrates, once again, that the BBC is not reporting âwithout fear or favourâ when it comes to Israel.
It goes on to note that the decision not to broadcast the investigation was taken by BBC management despite the content being signed off in accordance with BBC guidelines and editorial policy, which it says âAppears to be a political decisionâ, adding that the BBC response shows the organisation âis crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.â'
- Owen Jones
owenjones.news/p/bbc-staff-werâŠ
#freepalestine #ukpolitics #racism #fascism #bbc #gaza
BBC staff: we're forced to do pro-Israel PR
Owen Jones (BattleLines with Owen Jones)Ned Yeung
in reply to Ned Yeung • • •docs.google.com/document/d/1n3âŠ
Full text:
For all enquiries or if you would like your name added to the letter, please email bbcmecoverage@gmail.com
An Open Letter to BBC Management, Written by BBC Journalists and Signed by Media Industry Professionals
A message to the BBC Director General, the Board of Governors and our BBC Colleagues.
Weâre writing to express our concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine. We believe the refusal to broadcast the documentary âGaza: Medics Under Fireâ is just one in a long line of agenda driven decisions. It demonstrates, once again, that the BBC is not reporting âwithout fear or favourâ when it comes to Israel.
We understand that a decision not to broadcast the investigation has been taken by senior BBC management despite the filmâs content being signed off in accordance with BBC guidelines and editorial policy. This appears to be a political decision and is not reflective of the journalism in the film. A recent statement from the BBC said broadcasting the film ârisked creating the perception of partiality".This illustrates precisely what many of us have experienced first hand: an organisation that is crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.
We are not asking the BBC to take a side. We are asking to be allowed to do our jobs in delivering facts transparently and with due context. For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences. As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government's involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications. These stories have instead been broken by the BBCâs competitors.
This hasnât happened by accident, rather by design. Much of the BBCâs coverage in this area is defined by anti-Palestinian racism. The inconsistent manner in which guidance is applied draws into focus the role of Sir Robbie Gibb, on the BBC Board and BBCâs Editorial Standards Committee. We are concerned that an individual with close ties to the Jewish Chronicle, an outlet that has repeatedly published anti-Palestinian and often racist content, has a say in the BBC's editorial decisions in any capacity, including the decision not to broadcast âGaza: Medics Under Fireâ.
This conflict of interest highlights a double standard for BBC content makers who have themselves experienced censorship in the name of âimpartialityâ. In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media. By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask license fee payers to overlook Gibbsâ ideological allegiances.
Since October 2023 it has become increasingly clear to our audiences that the BBCâs reporting on Israel / Palestine falls short of our own editorial standards. There is a gulf between the BBCâs coverage of what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank and what our audiences can see is happening via multiple credible sources including human rights organisations, staff at the UN and journalists on the ground. Whilst there has been some exceptional content from some areas of the BBC (within documentary and from some individual correspondents for example), news in particular has failed to report the reality and the context of the war on Palestinians. All too often it has felt that the BBC has been performing PR for the Israeli government and military. This should be a cause of great shame and concern for everyone at the BBC.
Despite these failings, there has been a major shift within public discourse in recent months. Increasingly the scale of Israel's crimes against the Palestinians are being understood by the public as well as many of our parliamentarians. The BBCâs editorial decisions seem increasingly out of step with reality. We have been forced to conclude that decisions are made to fit a political agenda rather than serve the needs of audiences. As industry insiders and as BBC staff, we have experienced this first hand. The issue has become even more urgent with recent escalations in the region. Again, BBC coverage has appeared to downplay Israel's role, reinforcing an âIsrael firstâ framing that compromises our credibility.
We, the undersigned BBC staff, freelancers and industry figures are extremely concerned that the BBCâs reporting on Israel and Palestine continues to fall short of the standards our audiences expect. We believe the role of Robbie Gibb, both on the Board, and as part of the Editorial Standards Committee, is untenable. We call on the BBC to do better for our audiences and recommit to our values of impartiality, honesty and reporting without fear or favour.
#freepalestine #ukpolitics #bbc #gaza
An Open Letter to BBC Management
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Captain Jack Sparrow
in reply to Ned Yeung • • •Governments should NOT be allowed to appoint the directors of out our publicly funded state media service. This is the UK, not fucking Russia or North Korea.
#BBC #BBCBias #bbczionistcomplicity #bbciszionist #LabourFriendsOfGenocide
Kierkegaanks regretfully
in reply to Ned Yeung • • •