111 BBC journalists demand change as Israel reporting 'crippled'

The National

4 days ago

Some 111 BBC journalists have called for Robbie Gibb, the controversial BBC board member for England, to be removed from the role over his impact on the broadcaster's reporting.
Gibb's position on the BBC editorial standards committee is also 'untenable' as his well-known political affiliations mean the BBC is not reporting on Israel 'without fear or favour', a letter coordinated by BBC insiders says.
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Gibb, who was Theresa May's director of communication in No 10 and an early editorial adviser to the alt-right broadcaster GB News, led the buy-out of the Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and remained a director of Jewish Chronicle Media until August 2024.
The Jewish Chronicle – whose current owner is controversially kept secret – was then plunged into crisis after it was found to have published a series of fake series about Gaza and Hamas, both before and after Gibb was a director.
In their letter, published on Wednesday, 111 BBC journalists said the broadcaster was 'crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government', adding that the 'inconsistent manner in which guidance is applied draws into focus the role of Gibb, on the BBC Board and BBC's editorial standards committee'.
'We are concerned that an individual with close ties to the Jewish Chronicle … has a say in the BBC's editorial decisions in any capacity, including the decision not to broadcast Gaza: Medics Under Fire,' it states.
BBC board member Robbie Gibb (Image: BBC) The BBC has refused to broadcast the Gaza: Medics Under Fire documentary for fear of appearing biased. Channel 4 has stepped in and will show the film on Wednesday evening.
The journalists' letter says the episode shows that the BBC is 'not reporting 'without fear or favour' when it comes to Israel'.
They raise 'concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine'.
The letter goes on: 'For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences.
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'As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government's involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications. These stories have instead been broken by the BBC's competitors.'
It claims Gibb has a 'conflict of interest' that would not be allowed for reporters, who have 'experienced censorship in the name of 'impartiality''.
The letter goes on: 'In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media.
'By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask licence fee payers to overlook Gibbs's ideological allegiances.'
The letter concludes: 'We, the undersigned BBC staff, freelancers and industry figures are extremely concerned that the BBC's reporting on Israel and Palestine continues to fall short of the standards our audiences expect.
'We believe the role of Robbie Gibb, both on the board, and as part of the editorial standards committee, is untenable. We call on the BBC to do better for our audiences and recommit to our values of impartiality, honesty and reporting without fear or favour.'
While the 111 BBC journalists to have signed the letter have done so anonymously, other figures to have put their names to it include actors Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, and Juliet Stevenson, and esteemed Scottish historian William Dalrymple.
Gibb, an outspoken Brexiteer whose brother Nick was a Tory MP until 2024 and minister until 2023, was described as an 'active agent' of the Conservative party by former Newsnight host Emily Maitlis in 2022.
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Maitlis said that on the BBC board an 'active agent of the Conservative party – former Downing Street spin doctor, and former adviser to BBC rival GB News – now sits, acting as the arbiter of BBC impartiality'.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process. We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally.
'Regarding our coverage of Gaza, the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially and has produced powerful coverage from the region. Alongside breaking news, ongoing analysis, and investigations, we have produced award winning documentaries such as Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101.'