Media figures demand resignation of pro-Israel BBC board member Robbie Gibb

Middle East Eye

2 days ago

More than 400 cultural figures have signed a letter calling for the resignation of pro-Israel BBC board member Robbie Gibb over fears it is harming the broadcaster's credibility.
A range of filmmakers, actors and journalists - including Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, Juliet Stevenson, Mike Leigh and William Dalrymple - signed the letter which raises "concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine".
The number includes 111 BBC journalists who signed the letter anonymously. They specifically referenced Gibb's former directorship of the right-wing Jewish Chronicle outlet.
Gibb was part of a consortium that bought out the long-running outlet in 2020 and still declares on the BBC website that he holds a 100 per cent holding of Jewish Chronicle Media.
'[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," said the letter.
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They also referenced the BBC's decision not to air the documentary Gaza: Medics Under Fire over alleged concerns over its impartiality.
It is set to be broadcast on Channel 4 on Wednesday instead.
Channel 4 to show Gaza war crimes documentary rejected by BBC Read More »
'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," reads the letter.
"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.'
The BBC has faced criticism from pro-Palestinian campaigners over its coverage of the war in Gaza since October 2023, saying they have unfairly and disproportionately featured Israeli perspectives on the network.
A report released by the Centre For Media Monitoring last month said that the BBC gave Israeli deaths 33 times more coverage per fatality and ran almost equal numbers of humanising victim profiles.