A new report accuses the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of violating its own editorial guidelines over 1,000 times in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. The report alleges a "deeply worrying pattern of bias" against Israel, including downplaying Hamas terrorism and painting Israel as the aggressor.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been accused of violating its own editorial guidelines over 1,000 times in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. A new report, commissioned by a group of British lawyers, analyzed four months of BBC output on television, radio, online, podcasts, and social media during the height of the conflict.
The report found a "deeply worrying pattern of bias" against Israel, including downplaying Hamas terrorism and painting Israel as the aggressor. For example, the report found that Israel was associated with "war crimes" four times more frequently than Hamas (127 vs. 30), genocide 14 times more often (283 vs. 19), and breaching international law six times more often (167 vs. 27).
BBC Accused of Bias against Israel in Coverage of 2023 Conflict
The report also found that BBC reporters who had shown hostility towards Israel on social media were also featured in the network's war coverage. In 11 instances on the BBC's Arabic channel, reporters who had previously made public statements in support of terrorism and Hamas were featured.
"The findings reveal a deeply worrying pattern of bias and multiple breaches by the BBC of its own editorial guidelines on impartiality, fairness, and establishing the truth," the report said.
BBC Accused of Bias against Israel in Coverage of 2023 Conflict
The BBC has questioned the report's methodology and said they will "carefully consider" the report's findings after reviewing it. However, the report's findings have been welcomed by critics of the BBC's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism, a watchdog group, said the report exposed the BBC's ideological bias. "Despite its persistent claims of impartiality and stubbornness in the face of complaints, the BBC's ideological bias is now shamefully clear. This report vindicates with empirical data what we have said — and the Jewish community has known — for a long time," the group said.
BBC Accused of Bias against Israel in Coverage of 2023 Conflict
The BBC has been criticized for refusing to label Hamas a terrorist group in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack. In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, the BBC said they use the terrorist label when it's attributed to others, such as the UK Government.
The report's findings are likely to fuel further debate about the BBC's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
