British Broadcasting Corporation Gaza Programme Considered a 'Major' Infringement of Media Regulations, Says Ofcom
The BBC engaged in a "significant breach" of media regulations by failing to disclose that the narrator of a programme about the Gaza conflict was the child of a Hamas representative, according to British broadcasting authority Ofcom.
An investigation by the broadcasting watchdog into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the film was "substantially inaccurate".
The chief executive of the broadcaster had already issued an apology, saying there had been "a significant failing in relation to truthfulness".
The authority has instructed the BBC to broadcast a evening announcement about its conclusions.
"Given this constitutes a major infringement of our rules, we are directing the broadcaster to air a announcement of our conclusions against it on the BBC's second channel at 21:00, with a date to be finalised," the regulator stated.
'Possibility to Damage Credibility'
The authority's announcement declared: "Our probe concluded that the documentary's failure to disclose that the narrator's male guardian served in a position in the Hamas-administered administration was substantially inaccurate.
"It meant that the public did not have vital facts which may have been very significant to their judgment of the narrator and the details he provided.
"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 BBC.
"This error had the risk to undermine the significantly high degrees of trust that viewers would have placed in a factual film from the broadcaster about the Israel-Gaza war."
The film was withdrawn from the online platform in the month of February after the narrator's family links were revealed, and in this past July an corporation's own inquiry determined it breached the organization's journalistic standards on accuracy.
A representative for the broadcaster stated: "The authority's determination is in agreement with the results of Peter Johnston's review, that there was a significant failing in the documentary in relation to the broadcaster's journalistic policies on accuracy, which reflects Rule 2.2 of the authority's broadcasting regulations.
"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 date and wording are determined."
