BBC Gaza Film Considered a 'Major' Violation of Broadcasting Standards, Declares UK Media Regulator
The public service broadcaster was found to have committed a "significant breach" of media regulations by failing to disclose that the presenter of a programme about the Gaza conflict was the child of a Hamas representative, as ruled by regulatory body Ofcom.
An inquiry by the broadcasting watchdog into the documentary titled Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the film was "materially misleading".
The head of the BBC had previously apologised, noting there had been "a significant failing in relation to factual correctness".
The authority has instructed the broadcaster to transmit a prime-time statement about its conclusions.
"As this represents a major infringement of our regulations, we are directing the BBC to transmit a message of our conclusions against it on BBC2 at 9pm, with a date to be confirmed," the regulator stated.
'Potential to Damage Credibility'
The watchdog's announcement said: "Our probe determined that the programme's failure to disclose that the presenter's parent held a post in the Hamas-administered government was materially misleading.
"It meant that the viewers did not have vital facts which may have been very significant to their judgment of the narrator and the content he shared.
"Credibility is at the heart of the connection between a broadcaster and its audience, especially for a public service broadcaster such as the public broadcaster.
"This oversight had the possibility to undermine the significantly high levels of confidence that viewers would have invested in a BBC factual programme about the conflict in Gaza."
The film was pulled from the BBC's streaming service in last February after the presenter's familial connections emerged, and in July an broadcaster's internal assessment concluded it infringed the corporation's editorial guidelines on truthfulness.
A corporation official said: "The regulator's decision is in line with the conclusions of the internal assessment, that there was a major oversight in the film in relation to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines on truthfulness, which reflects Rule 2.2 of the authority's broadcasting regulations.
"We issued an apology for this and we comply with Ofcom's decision in complete. We will follow the directive as soon as the schedule and wording are finalised."
