BBC Gaza Documentary Deemed a 'Major' Violation of Media Standards, States Broadcasting Watchdog
The British broadcaster was found to have committed a "major breach" of broadcasting rules by omitting to mention that the narrator of a documentary about the Gaza conflict was the son of a Hamas administrator, as determined by UK media regulator Ofcom.
An probe by the broadcasting watchdog into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the film was "significantly deceptive".
The chief executive of the broadcaster had earlier expressed regret, noting there had been "a serious error in relation to accuracy".
Ofcom has instructed the corporation to air a evening announcement about its conclusions.
"As this represents a major infringement of our code, we are directing the BBC to broadcast a announcement of our findings against it on the BBC's second channel at 21:00, with a timing to be determined," the regulator stated.
'Potential to Undermine Confidence'
The authority's statement said: "Our investigation determined that the film's failure to disclose that the presenter's father occupied a post in the Hamas-run authority was significantly deceptive.
"It meant that the viewers did not have vital facts which may have been very significant to their judgment of the narrator and the details he shared.
"Confidence is at the center of the relationship between a media organization and its audience, notably for a state-funded media outlet such as the British Broadcasting Corporation.
"This failing had the potential to damage the very considerable degrees of confidence that audiences would have placed in a BBC factual programme about the Israel-Gaza war."
The programme was withdrawn from the online platform in the month of February after the narrator's family links came to light, and in this past July an internal BBC review found it infringed the broadcaster's content policies on accuracy.
A representative for the broadcaster said: "The regulator's decision is in line with the conclusions of Peter Johnston's review, that there was a significant failing in the film in relation to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines on accuracy, which aligns with Rule 2.2 of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code.
"We expressed regret for this and we agree with Ofcom's decision in its entirety. We will adhere to the directive as soon as the schedule and language are determined."
