BBC investigates six Middle East reporters for alleged Hamas support on social media
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London: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched an internal investigation into six of its Middle East correspondents due to their social media activity that appeared to endorse or support activities against Israel attributed to Hamas.
This action is in line with the state broadcaster’s stringent impartiality rules, which extend to the online conduct of its reporters and other staff members.
“We are urgently investigating this matter,” a BBC spokesperson said. “We take allegations of breaches of our editorial and social media guidelines with the utmost seriousness, and if and when we find breaches we will act, including taking disciplinary action.”
According to the Financial Times, several BBC News Arabic reporters in Egypt and Lebanon, including a senior broadcast journalist and a freelancer, are among those whose social media activity, including posts or likes, sparked concern about seemingly expressing support for Hamas or criticizing Israel’s position reports Arab News.
The inquiry was launched after the allegedly incriminating social media activity was highlighted by the watchdog group, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis.
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In one instance, reporters allegedly liked a video, shared on X, that showed dead bodies being placed in a vehicle, which was accompanied by a caption expressing a sense of pride in the content.
While the posts were later removed, the BBC decided to temporarily remove all six reporters from on-air duties pending an urgent investigation.
The broadcaster has expressed apprehensions regarding the naming of the journalists under investigation by some media outlets and the implications of this for their safety reports The Financial Times.
This comes amid mounting criticism against the BBC for its reluctance to label members of Hamas as terrorists. The militant group is designated as a terrorist organisation in the UK, the US, and Saudi Arabia, among others.
This issue has ignited a national debate, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling on the BBC to align its portrayal of Hamas with the UK's legal stance. But historically, the BBC has not been toeing the government line on international issues, although Western public perceptions are generally seen to have influenced BBC's policies.
Despite external pressures, the BBC has remained steadfast in its commitment to maintain its editorial independence stressing on its duty to provide the public with "impartial" and "comprehensive" information, that enables them to form their own opinions.
The broadcaster recently reported an incident during which a member of the BBC News Arabic team, travelling in a marked media vehicle, was held at gunpoint by Israeli police in Tel Aviv. It stressed the critical need for journalists to report on the Israel-Hamas conflict without fear of repercussions.
