Take Action Against BBC News’ Biased and Prejudiced Coverage of Israel’s Actions in Occupied Palestine, and Towards Palestinian and Pro-Palestinian Voices.
Why Complain to the BBC?
The British public have witnessed Israel’s long-term, brutal and violent occupation of Palestine, and the inhumane and unjust treatment of Palestinians. However, BBC news seldom give a fair, accurate and detailed coverage of Gaza and the Middle East, and actively promotes Israel’s narrative.
BBC presenters and editors have played a crucial role in whitewashing the genocide of the Palestinian people. As the BBC is the most popular news source in the U.K., it is important that we challenge them.
How BBC News Undermines Palestinians and Those Supporting Their Basic Human Rights (This List is Not Exhaustive):
How to Complain About BBC Coverage - 4 Simple Steps to Follow:
The complaint procedure for the BBC is to firstly make the complaint directly to the BBC and complete the procedure, and then to escalate it via Ofcom as follows:
Why Complain to the BBC?
The British public have witnessed Israel’s long-term, brutal and violent occupation of Palestine, and the inhumane and unjust treatment of Palestinians. However, BBC news seldom give a fair, accurate and detailed coverage of Gaza and the Middle East, and actively promotes Israel’s narrative.
BBC presenters and editors have played a crucial role in whitewashing the genocide of the Palestinian people. As the BBC is the most popular news source in the U.K., it is important that we challenge them.
How BBC News Undermines Palestinians and Those Supporting Their Basic Human Rights (This List is Not Exhaustive):
- Language: Adjectives, verbs and adverbs such as, ‘atrocity’, ‘heinous’, ‘savage’, ‘terrorists,’ will be used by the BBC to describe Hamas but the language describing Israeli crimes is usually neutral and without judgement, such as ‘air strike, or ‘military campaign.’ Detained Palestinians are described as ‘prisoners,’ detained Israelis are ‘hostages.’ Direct and opinionated language is not factual.
- Passive tense: When describing Palestinian deaths, the perpetrator is not declared, ‘20 Palestinian deaths,’ rather than ‘Israel bombs/crushes/burns 20 people to death.’
- Lack of context: Israel was created on stolen land and Palestinians are an occupied population that have lived under a brutal apartheid system for 76 years. Context is crucial for the correct understanding of events.
- Weaponising anti-Semitism: BBC conflate opposition/criticism of Israel with the support of Hamas or anti-Semitism. This has been openly refuted by many Jewish intellectuals such as Ilan Pappé and Norman Finkelstein, and Andrew Loewenstein (‘Not in My Name’ documentary), amongst many others.
- Repetition of falsehoods from unverified sources: The BBC platform allows known lies and propaganda to be repeated by Israeli spokespersons, and this goes unchallenged in the interviews. If lies are discovered, they are conveniently downplayed (‘40 beheaded babies’), leaving the British public unaware that they have been lied to.
- Lacking proportionality: Despite 40 times the number of Palestinian victims than Israelis, Israeli victims and pro-Israeli voices will get vastly more coverage. This does not depict an accurate and balanced presentation of information from both sides.
- Dehumanising Palestinians: Israeli victims are humanised, named, described with photographs, and have their families interviewed, while Palestinian deaths are described as a mere statistic.
- Bias by omission: BBC highlights claims of anti-Semitism but omits examples of Islamaphobia: Phrases such as “Jews are afraid” are common but lack details of actual evidence of anti-Semitic examples or specific events. The far right attempted to torch mosques in the recent riots, this is clear evidence of Islamophobia in reaction to Islamophobic propaganda. A ‘fear’ vs. an ‘actual’ attack, are two very different things. Omitting news coverage of ongoing atrocities committed against Palestinians, keeps the public focus away from the sheer gravity of the humanitarian crisis.
- Bias in condemnation: Pro-Palestinian speakers would be asked to condemn Hamas; pro-Israel supporters are not asked whether they condemn the devastation of Gaza by their government. This again shifts the focus to the viewer believing that one must automatically condemn one group of people, while respecting the rights of another. The group of people being condemned are the ones who are being oppressed.
How to Complain About BBC Coverage - 4 Simple Steps to Follow:
The complaint procedure for the BBC is to firstly make the complaint directly to the BBC and complete the procedure, and then to escalate it via Ofcom as follows:
- Write directly to the BBC with a 2000 character limit, (Make a Complaint - Contact the BBC), about lack of due impartiality and due accuracy (see Section five: Due impartiality and due accuracy - Ofcom). Make a copy of your original letter, the programme/article, date and time of airing/publishing for reference later.
- You will receive an automated response and standard letter. Reject this and resend your complaint.
- You will then receive a bespoke reply from ‘Audience Service Team,’ rejecting your complaint with cherry picked examples where balance has been shown, while omitting glaring examples of bias. Reject their explanation, detailing how they have not dealt with your complaint.
- This time, your letter will go to the ‘Executive Complaints Unit.’ Your complaint is likely to be rejected at this stage. At this point, you can complain to Ofcom, quoting the case number via the Ofcom website (Complain about the BBC -Ofcom). Your complaint may be rejected by Ofcom, however the number of complaints received by Ofcom and the BBC, will still be reported, and is therefore still important, regardless of the outcome.