BBC Gaza Film Considered a 'Significant' Violation of Broadcasting Regulations, Says Ofcom
The BBC engaged in a "serious breach" of broadcasting rules by failing to disclose that the presenter of a documentary about the Gaza conflict was the offspring of a Hamas official, as determined by British broadcasting authority Ofcom.
An inquiry by the broadcasting watchdog into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the film was "substantially inaccurate".
The head of the BBC had earlier expressed regret, noting there had been "a significant failing in relation to accuracy".
Ofcom has ordered the broadcaster to broadcast a prime-time statement about its findings.
"As this represents a serious breach of our rules, we are directing the BBC to transmit a message of our conclusions against it on the BBC's second channel at 9pm, with a schedule to be finalised," the regulator stated.
'Risk to Damage Credibility'
The watchdog's announcement declared: "The inquiry we conducted concluded that the programme's lack of disclosure that the presenter's father served in a position in the Hamas-run authority was materially misleading.
"Consequently that the public did not have vital facts which may have been very significant to their judgment of the narrator and the details he presented.
"Confidence is at the heart of the relationship between a media organization and its viewers, particularly for a state-funded media outlet such as the public broadcaster.
"This oversight had the risk to erode the exceptionally strong levels of confidence that viewers would have placed in a factual film from the broadcaster about the conflict in Gaza."
The programme was withdrawn from iPlayer in the month of February after the narrator's family links were revealed, and in the month of July an broadcaster's internal assessment determined it violated the broadcaster's editorial guidelines on truthfulness.
A representative for the broadcaster stated: "The authority's determination is in line with the results of the corporation's inquiry, that there was a significant failing in the programme in relation to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines on accuracy, which aligns with clause 2.2 of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code.
"We issued an apology for this and we agree with the regulator's ruling in full. We will follow the sanction as soon as the schedule and language are confirmed."
