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New Statesman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
The BBC is afraid
Photo by Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images Since 27 May, Israel has killed and wounded hundreds of unarmed Palestinians at aid distribution sites – the latest in 21 months of continuous Israeli violations of international law. Here in the UK, the government's support for Israel has resulted in increasing state repression of those who support Palestine. A South Asian woman was tried and acquitted over a coconut placard at a Palestine protest. The group Palestine Action will soon be proscribed as a terror organisation. Meanwhile, Kneecap and the rap duo Bob Vylan are under police investigation for their Glastonbury sets. Well-worn methods of protest – direct action, placards, and chants – have all drawn a heavy-handed response from the state. In such a climate, we need our fourth estate to stand firm while focusing on accurately and bravely covering what's happening on the ground in Gaza. Instead, our public broadcaster is afraid. The past six months have been a sorry saga for the BBC. In February, the broadcaster apologised for 'serious flaws' in the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, because its child narrator was the son of a Hamas civil minister. In March, it apologised 'unreservedly' to the Israeli embassy in London after a BBC producer asked someone at the embassy for an anti-Netanyahu voice to interview. In June, it shelved a documentary it had commissioned but not yet aired, Gaza: Doctors Under Fire, after months of delay without adequately explaining why to the filmmakers. This week, it has expressed 'regret' at airing Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set live, after the lead singer chanted 'death to the IDF' onstage. Apology after apology. But nowhere has it apologised for failing to communicate the disproportionality, illegality, and gravity of Israel's actions in Gaza across the past 21 months. This includes a clear disparity in emotive language between Israelis and Palestinians, and the omission of context that should be regularly mentioned, like the International Court of Justice ruling in January 2024 or the International Criminal Court arrest warrant out for Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. These are a few of many examples cited in a new Centre for Media Monitoring report on how the BBC's Gaza coverage has failed. Taken together, these apologies and obfuscations depict a BBC that caves to complaints from only 'one side' – a BBC that's compromised and enfeebled, unable to safeguard its own independence. The bad faith critics demanding these apologies aren't interested in either the BBC's independence or the quality of its journalism. Their aim is to establish more oversight and to ensure that the BBC stays editorially anxious, unwilling to take risks and commission the sort of ground-breaking journalism that fearlessly follows the evidence to its conclusion. This is already happening: Gaza: Doctors Under Fire, the documentary the BBC shelved, will now be aired by Channel 4. We need an editorially brave BBC, willing to battle against external pressure and back its best journalists. More than a hundred BBC journalists have just signed a letter calling the board's decision not to air Gaza: Doctors Under Fire a 'political decision', that doesn't reflect the quality of journalism in the film. The job of the board and the executive should be to protect the conditions under which good journalism can happen – journalists shouldn't have to be concerned that they'll be trolled when they cover Gaza, or that their painstaking work will be delayed and canned without adequate editorial justification. A meeting between BBC board members and the Culture Secretary should not be a reason for journalists to panic. Working at the BBC on Gaza over many months, I watched many journalists make crucial decisions within this culture of fear. The BBC felt more exposed than independent, and many colleagues were concerned about complaint campaigns on social media or getting told off by bosses. I watched too many gently dislocate from the critical journalistic burden of speaking truth to power, or burn themselves out fighting to get good quality work published. We also need a BBC that stands firm around the core freedoms this government is eroding – like free speech, and freedom to protest. 'Impartiality', reads the BBC's own guidelines, 'does not mean detachment from fundamental democratic values, including freedom of expression, the right to vote, the rule of law and freedom from discrimination.' The BBC isn't expected to be detached when human rights and basic freedoms are under threat, whether this is the human rights of Palestinians or the basic freedoms of the British public. So why isn't it ready to act in accordance with this line of its own policy? While the BBC claims it's independent, the public increasingly believes otherwise. Many of us saw a palpable shift in tone around its Gaza coverage at the end of May, when the UK joined France and Canada in calling on the Israeli government to 'stop its military operations' and 'immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza'. Instead of standing as a lighthouse in a growing storm – the collapse of international law, the erosion of democratic freedoms – the BBC sways with the prevailing wind. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe As state repression grows, we have no evidence that the BBC will act as part of a robust fourth estate – challenging and resisting government influence. My issue is not that the BBC makes decisions I disagree with. My issue is that it makes panicked decisions while its independence is under threat. To the bosses at the top of the BBC, I say: amid all the apologies and prevarications, audiences are losing trust in their public broadcaster and government ministers are talking about a 'leadership' problem at the organisation. Was it all worth it? [See also: Stop taking Glastonbury so seriously] Related
Wales Online
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Why the Championship play-off final kick-off time has been moved
Why the Championship play-off final kick-off time has been moved Sheffield United and Sunderland meet at Wembley Stadium in the Championship play-off final Wembley Stadium hosts the Championship play-off final today (Image: Mark Kerrison ) Sheffield United and Sunderland lock horns in the Championship play-off final on Saturday afternoon. The two teams will face off against each other under the famous Wembley arch for a place in the Premier League and all the riches that entails. The Blades will be smarting that they missed out on an automatic promotion place to Leeds United and Burnley but have the perfect opportunity to address that this afternoon against the Black Cats. One thing to note is that the traditional 3pm kick-off time has been moved forward a minute, with the game scheduled to officially get under way at 3.01pm. The League One and League Two finals, scheduled to take place on Sunday and Monday respectively, are also kicking off 60 seconds later, at 1.01pm. The reason is because the EFL are looking to raise awareness for the 'Every Minute Matters' campaign, which aims to encourage football fans to learn CPR. Article continues below Wales international Tom Lockyer is an ambassador for the project after the defender collapsed with atrial fibrillation in the 2023 Championship play-off final between his club Luton Town and Coventry City. He said: 'I was just one of the more than 30,000 people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year in the UK. "I am lucky to be alive today, but the reality is that less than 1 in 10 people usually survive, which is why it's vital that we continue to raise awareness. "The symbolic kick-off times are the perfect way to make our lifesaving message impossible to ignore. 'Over the course of the last year, the EFL community – fans, players and the clubs – have come together and united behind the Sky Bet Every Minute Matters campaign to achieve something I never thought possible. "And now, as we approach the business end of the season, the Sky Bet Play-Off Finals provide an incredible platform to continue to spread the word and bring the curtain down on a game-changing year in the fight against cardiac arrest." The dates and times in full Article continues below Championship: Sheffield United vs Sunderland, Saturday, May 24, 3:01pm League One: Charlton vs Leyton Orient, Sunday, May 25, 1:01pm League Two: AFC Wimbledon vs Walsall, Monday, May 26, 3:01pm
Wales Online
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Rising production costs threatening viability of UK theatre, says report
Rising production costs threatening viability of UK theatre, says report he cost of running and creating theatre has soared, rising "significantly faster than inflation", according to a report into the state of British theatre in 2025 from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre The London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus was built in 1885 as a theatre (Image: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images ) Rising production costs are threatening the viability of UK theatre, a report has said. The cost of running and creating theatre has soared, rising "significantly faster than inflation", according to a report into the state of British theatre in 2025 from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre. "The economics of theatre are finely balanced. Without strategic support and investment, rising costs threaten the viability of even the most commercially successful productions," it said. The report outlines potential threats to the sector's financial sustainability, including the cumulative effect of rising inflation, heightened international trade tensions and the potential impact of new US tariffs. On Wednesday official figures revealed that UK inflation surged to its highest level for more than a year last month after households were hit by a raft of "awful April" bill increases. In spite of growing costs, members of the SOLT and UK Theatre welcomed more than 37 million audience members in 2024, with the West End surpassing 17.1 million attendees, generating more than £1 billion in revenue for the first time in history, according to the organisations. Article continues below The report estimates that the average price of a West End ticket is 5.3% lower in real terms than in 2019 and says that "most theatre tickets remain affordable". Another issue is investment, with one in five UK venues requiring at least £5 million over the next decade simply to remain operational, according to a 2024 survey from the organisations. Out of the 65 venues surveyed, it was found that nearly 40% of them could close or become unusable in the next five years without substantial capital funding. Rising costs in transport, accommodation, freight and staffing are also affecting domestic touring and the report said these financial pressures are "straining the viability of touring models that rely on lean margins and collaborative delivery". At the same time, audiences are facing their own cost-of-living challenges and this means that "simply raising ticket prices is not a viable solution if theatre is to remain accessible to all". The report said higher-priced tickets help "cross-subsidise lower-cost options, enabling more people to attend while preserving financial sustainability". It also said the Government needs to make a "sustained investment in infrastructure, skills, access and innovation". International productions can also face complex issues, such as trade uncertainty, but the report added that "UK theatre continues to punch above its weight globally". Six The Musical, which has toured across the world, is an example of "the power of UK theatre as a world-leading cultural export", according to the report. SOLT and UK Theatre co-chief executives Claire Walker and Hannah Essex said: "From the West End to regional stages, our members are working harder than ever to keep theatre accessible and inclusive, even as costs rise and funding declines. "But the reality is stark: theatres are doing more with less – and the strain is showing. "Rising costs, shrinking support and ageing infrastructure are putting the sector under unsustainable pressure. Article continues below "We are seeing world-class organisations forced to cut programmes, delay maintenance and scale back outreach. "If we want to maintain the UK's position as a global leader in theatre – and continue to inspire the next generation of actors, writers and technicians – then Government must act. "That means restoring public investment, investing in infrastructure and ensuring that every child can experience the life-changing power of live performance."
