In the UK, 237 journalists wrote a letter to the BBC calling for impartiality in its reporting on Gaza. 101 of those who signed the letter are BBC employees. The letter criticized the pro-Israeli stance in the reporting on Gaza.
237 members of the press, including 101 BBC staff, wrote a letter to BBC Director General Tim Davie on Gaza. The signatories called on the BBC to approach Gaza news in an impartial and fearless manner and called on the BBC to take steps in certain areas, reminding them that Israel should not allow foreign journalists into Gaza.
Although the signatories addressed their message directly to the BBC, they also called on major British broadcasters such as ITV and Sky.
In the letter, the BBC noted that Gaza content is among the most difficult subjects to report due to its polarizing nature. The statement stated that journalistic standards are applied at the highest level and argued that the news goes through many filters, from the words used to verification.
The BBC does not reflect a single world view, the statement said, adding that it receives almost equal numbers of complaints about being pro-Israel and anti-Israel.
Speaking to the Independent, one signatory recalled the BBC’s stance under the headline: “Hind Rajab, 6, found dead in Gaza after making phone calls for help.” The signatory said: “This was not an act of God. Israel was the perpetrator. So it should have been made clear and it should have been stated clearly that she was killed.”
Another signatory said: “The Palestinians are always treated as unreliable sources, while the Israeli version of events is consistently given, despite the Israeli military’s strong record of lying.”
