Latest news with #Gaza:HowtoSurviveaWarzone
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Gaza documentary report finds BBC misled viewers
Back to the BBC, which is better at making the news than breaking it these days. This afternoon a report has found that the Beeb's Gaza documentary that was narrated by the son of a Hamas official breached editorial guidelines and misled audiences. The review adds that viewers 'should have been informed' about the identity of the film's narrator – which was known by three people at the production company but, however, not by anyone at the BBC ahead of the documentary's release. The head of BBC News, Deborah Turness, apologised today over the BBC's lack of oversight and admitted this afternoon that: 'At BBC News, we are fully accountable. And we didn't run those questions to ground.' Oo er. Turness's apology comes after a rather controversial Gaza documentary – titled 'Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone' – was first released by the corporation and then pulled from streaming services after it emerged the narrator was not only the son of a Hamas minister but was paid for his part in the film. At the time, Turness sent an email around her staff taking aim at the production company Hoyo Films before confessing that the institution was partly responsible for the problems with the documentary. 'Nothing is more important than the trust that audiences have in our journalism,' she wrote. 'This incident has damaged that trust. While the intent of the documentary was aligned with our purpose – to tell the story of what is happening around the world, even in the most difficult and dangerous places – the processes and execution of this programme fell short of our expectations.' Today's report slammed the Beeb for not being 'sufficiently proactive', noting that there was a 'lack of critical oversight' of unanswered questions over the identity of the film's narrator. However the probe concluded that payments to the boy and his family of £1,817 were in fact 'reasonable'. When quizzed today on the BBC's own World At One show, Turness admits that staff at the BBC 'should have known'. She added that 'their questions should have been answered at the many times of asking' by the production company and says that the Beeb 'should have investigated more'. You can say that again! And even Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy waded in, pressing the Beeb on why no one has been fired yet. When quizzed on this today, Turness responded cagily: 'I just think it's not right and not appropriate for me to pre-judge and pre-determine a process that needs to have its time.' Could heads roll over the whole debacle? Watch this space…
New Statesman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Inside the BBC's Glastonbury debacle
Photo byThere are mumblings at the BBC about whether the director-general, Tim Davie, will survive the Glastonbury debacle. More than 400 BBC staff were reportedly attending – including Davie himself – yet none called for the livestream to be stopped when the rap duo Bob Vylan led the chant 'death, death to the IDF'. Insiders say staff 'panicked' when they heard the Vylan chant, having been told repeatedly that it was not the BBC's job to censor content. (Kneecap's set was not broadcast live but instead uploaded later to iPlayer.) Davie, who wasn't at Bob Vylan's set, ordered the performance should not be available on iPlayer – but it remained on the streaming platform for five hours. The mess follows BBC failings over Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone and the broadcaster's refusal to screen another film about medics in Gaza (which eventually aired instead on Channel 4). The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has referred to a 'problem of leadership', while an insider tells me: 'We're making enemies on all sides in this. It's a total mess. Tim Davie is far from decisive and yet is getting involved in editorial decisions, which then go to shit. We're forever trying to guess where the next crisis will emerge from. Why should hard-working junior staff carry the can for mistakes he is making?' Glastonbury bar worker 'Helen from Wales', who filmed Kneecap's set from her phone and livestreamed it on TikTok, is emblematic of the nightmare Davie faces. Almost a quarter of a million people (presumably many of them young folk the BBC craves) have watched the video. And it cost her nothing – apart from burned fingers from an overheating phone. 'When there's censorship coming from large media institutions such as the BBC, I think it's up to people like me to step in,' Helen said. Another satisfied BBC customer. Anger is bubbling at the Daily Mail over cuts to the business and finance desks just weeks after another redundancy process concluded. Much fury is directed at the salaries of three big beasts: Boris Johnson on a £1m-a-year deal for an 'embarrassing' weekly contribution; Nadine Dorries on a healthy whack for her latest Ozempic tale; and Richard Littlejohn, who, it is believed, is earning in excess of £600k for a column in which he often berates civil servants for working from home – written from his mansion in Florida. One insider said: 'Those three alone could pay the salaries of 30 reporters. It's disgusting.' Highly respected business editor Ruth Sunderland is said to be among those facing the chop. Apparently such content fails to drive traffic and is not suitable for hiding behind the Mail+ paywall, which has reportedly become bosses' 'absolute obsession'. GB News's Bev Turner will front the channel's first foray into the US. Turner, a right-wing Covid sceptic who has backed Russell Brand and raised concerns about climate crisis reporting, is off to Washington for a new nightly show. 'Sending Bev to the US is like sending coals to Newcastle,' a former colleague says. 'It's not like the States is short of people with batshit crazy ideas who can read an autocue.' Never a wallflower, Piers Morgan has been celebrating hitting four million subscribers for his YouTube show Uncensored. A source close to Morgan says: 'It's a work-in-progress. Piers has always been aiming for world domination – so just another 8.058 billion viewers to go…' Snout line: Got a story? Write to tips@ Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe [See also: Morgan McSweeney's moment of truth] Related
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC shelves Gaza doc over impartiality concerns
The BBC says it has decided not to broadcast a documentary about doctors working in Gaza, due to impartiality concerns it has surrounding the production. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by the BBC but produced by an independent production company. It was originally scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not yet aired on any BBC outlet. In a statement, the BBC said it was "determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly". BBC News has contacted production company Basement Films for comment. Its founder Ben de Pear said earlier this week the BBC had "utterly failed" and that journalists were "being stymied and silenced". The BBC said it was "transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films". BBC News understands the decision to shelve the documentary was taken on Thursday, following public comments by De Pear at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, and another of the film's directors, journalist Ramita Navai, who appeared on Radio 4's Today programme discussing the war in Gaza. A different documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer earlier this year after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack - also known as Gaza: Medics Under Fire - is said to examine the experiences of Palestinian medics working during the war in Gaza. The film is directed by Karim Shah, Navai and De Pear, a former editor of Channel 4 News. In a statement on Friday, the BBC said it had commissioned the documentary over a year ago, but paused the film in April, "having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing". "With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. "However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. "For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms. "Yesterday [Thursday], it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC." The corporation added that, contrary to some reports, the documentary had "not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes", adding: "Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film." It continued: "We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially." Speaking at the Sheffield Documentary Festival on Thursday, before the decision was announced, De Pear specifically blamed director general Tim Davie for refusing to air the film. "All the decisions about our film were not taken by journalists, they were taken by Tim Davie," he claimed while taking part in a panel, as reported by Broadcast. "He is just a PR person. Tim Davie is taking editorial decisions which, frankly, he is not capable of making." He added: "The BBC's primary purpose is TV news and current affairs, and if it's failing on that it doesn't matter what drama it makes or sports it covers. It is failing as an institution. And if it's failing on that then it needs new management. "Something needs to happen because they are making decisions from a PR defensive point of view rather than a journalistic one. If you make a decision on a journalistic basis you can defend it, but if you make it on a PR basis, you can't." In relation to the war, De Pear claimed staff at the BBC "are being forced to use language they don't recognise, they are not describing something as it clearly is [for fear of impartiality] and it's tragic". Responding to De Pear's comments, a BBC spokesperson said the BBC "totally reject[s] this characterisation of our coverage". "The BBC has continually produced powerful journalism about this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced original investigations such as those into allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel's use of bunker buster bombs and in-depth documentaries including the award-winning Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101." High-profile figures such as actress Susan Sarandon and presenter Gary Lineker have previously accused the corporation of censorship over the delay. An open letter, which was also signed by cultural figures such as Dame Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh, said: "This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression." "No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling," it continued. "This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honoured." 'I lost trust' in Gaza film, says BBC boss Tim Davie
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Susan Sarandon, Mike Leigh & Harriet Walter Sign Letter Urging BBC To Stop 'Censorship Of Palestinian Voices' & Air ‘Gaza: Medics Under Fire' Doc
Big names including Susan Sarandon, Mike Leigh and Harriet Walter have signed an open letter to the BBC urging the corporation to cease 'the censorship of Palestinian voices' and air a documentary about medics in Gaza. The documentary has been delayed while the BBC investigates events surrounding a separate show, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, after that show was pulled due to links between one of the narrators and Hamas. More from Deadline Netflix UK Boss Anne Mensah Rules Herself Out Of BBC Content Chief Race 'This City Is Ours' Renewed For Season 2 At BBC 'Rivals' Actor Danny Dyer Says Harold Pinter's Death Triggered Him Into "Spiral Of Madness" Gaza: Medics Under Fire was created by a team including ex-Channel 4 news boss Ben de Pear and the team said last week that the screening had been delayed. Today's letter, which is also signed by Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsay Hilsum, Game of Thrones star Indira Varma and actor Miriam Margolyes, said: 'It's hard not to conclude that the BBC's gatekeeping is rooted in racism. The message is clear: Programmes about the ongoing genocide, told from Palestinian perspectives, are held to a different standard.' 'The BBC continues to demonstrate bias in its reporting and coverage of events in Gaza, raising continued concern and criticism about the balance and impartiality of its journalism in this region,' it added. The letter, which was organized by a group calling itself UK Screen Industry along with the Britain Palestine Media Centre, called on BBC Director General Tim Davie to immediately 'broadcast the unreleased documentary.' The BBC has been contacted for comment. The Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone review kicked off in Feb and is yet to report back. At the time it was commissioned, the BBC revealed that the producers were aware of the narrator's links to Hamas and would be investigating further. At last night's BAFTAs, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone director and producer Jamie Roberts, who has been in hot water over that doc, won an award for a separate show about Ukraine. The letter in full Dear Director-General Tim Davie, Over 600 prominent figures—including Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon, Frankie Boyle, and Channel 4's Lindsey Hilsum—have signed an open letter urging the BBC to air Gaza: Medics Under Fire. Among them are 130 anonymous signatories, including more than a dozen BBC staff. We write to you again with deep concern about the censorship of Palestinian voices – this time, medics operating in unimaginable conditions in Gaza. The BBC continues to demonstrate bias in its reporting and coverage of events in Gaza, raising continued concern and criticism about the balance and impartiality of its journalism in this region. It has repeatedly delayed the broadcast of Gaza: Medics Under Fire, a documentary made by Oscar-nominated, Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmakers, including Ben de Pear, Karim Shah and Ramita Navai. Health Workers 4 Palestine have said in their statement: 'The health workers featured in this documentary have witnessed countless colleagues being killed, and have risked their lives not only to care for their patients, but to document and expose the relentless targeting by Israel of healthcare infrastructure and personnel.' We stand with the medics of Gaza whose voices are being silenced. Their urgent stories are being buried by bureaucracy and political censorship. This documentary was scheduled to air in January but has since been indefinitely delayed. It has undergone rigorous editorial scrutiny. It has been fact-checked and signed off repeatedly, and yet the BBC refuses to set a broadcast date. This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression. The BBC has provided no timeline, no transparency. Such decisions reinforce the systemic devaluation of Palestinian lives in our media. It's hard not to conclude that the BBC's gatekeeping is rooted in racism. The message is clear: Programmes about the ongoing genocide, told from Palestinian perspectives, are held to a different standard. If the voices of Palestinian doctors aren't considered credible—just as the voices of Palestinian children were previously dismissed—then whose voices does the BBC consider legitimate? The production company, Basement Films, has said: 'We gathered searing testimony from multiple Palestinian doctors and health care workers…We are desperate for a confirmed release date in order to be able to tell the surviving doctors and medics when their stories will be told.' Every day this film is delayed, the BBC fails in its commitment to inform the public, fails in its journalistic responsibility to report the truth, and fails in its duty of care to these brave contributors. We demand a release date for Gaza: Medics Under Fire—NOW. No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling. This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honoured. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery All The Songs In Netflix's 'Forever': From Tyler The Creator To SZA 'Poker Face' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Peacock?
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC's Gaza documentary film-maker claims he's fighting ‘misinformation'
The film-maker behind a controversial BBC documentary about Gaza has vowed to fight 'misinformation and lies' with his future films. Jamie Roberts stressed the importance of 'factual stories' as he collected a Bafta award on Sunday night for directing a documentary about the war in Ukraine. He previously directed and produced the contentious documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which failed to disclose that its narrator was the son of a senior Hamas official. The BBC removed the film from iPlayer amid a backlash, admitting 'serious flaws' in its production, and announced an internal investigation. Mr Roberts said he was confident he would be able to continue making films after the BBC concluded its investigation. He did not comment on the inquiry when asked in the winners' room after collecting the award. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. I can't talk about the inquiry at the moment,' he said. The film-maker took home the award for best Single Documentary for directing Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods, which portrays the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line as filmed by them. He said: 'It's really important. I mean, I think just factual stories, issues like Ukraine, like Gaza, healthcare in the UK, all these things that sometimes people might find dull or boring. 'It's important to try and make films that cut through to be able to tell these stories, because I think it's important we know what's happening in the world, especially with so much misinformation and lies. 'The narrative in Ukraine, with the Russian war is being argued over, so to be able to see what's happening through people's eyes that are on the ground there is important otherwise you can be misled.' He said winning the award felt 'surreal'. The review into the Gaza documentary is being led by Peter Johnston, the BBC's editorial complaints chief, who has interviewed staff and the team behind the film. It will look at alleged errors including the payment of £790 by an independent production company, Hoyo Films, to the family of Abdullah al-Yazouri, the film's teenage narrator and son of a Hamas government minister. Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, has told Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, that it will step in if not satisfied with the internal investigation. It comes after The Telegraph revealed that the BBC is to appoint an independent figure to investigate allegations of anti-Semitism on its Arabic channel. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
