The media regulator in the UK, Ofcom, has determined that the BBC documentary titled “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone” violated broadcasting guidelines by significantly misinforming viewers. This conclusion comes after an extensive investigation that was initiated following the documentary’s removal from BBC iPlayer in February.
On Friday, the ruling was made public, indicating a “serious breach” of Ofcom’s regulations. The BBC is now required to air a statement regarding Ofcom’s findings on BBC Two at 9 p.m. on yet-to-be-determined date.
The investigation revealed that a critical oversight in the documentary was its failure to mention that the 13-year-old narrator’s father held a role in the Hamas administration. This omission constituted a serious breach of rules mandating that factual programming provide viewers with accurate information. Abdullah, the narrator, is the child of Ayman Alyazouri, who served as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
Ofcom stated, “This lack of disclosure meant that the audience was deprived of key information which could have been vital for assessing the narrator and the information he presented.”
The regulator stressed the gravity of this breach, underscoring that trust is essential in the relationship between broadcasters and audiences, especially for public service broadcasters like the BBC. “Such a failing risks diminishing the high levels of trust that audiences typically place in a BBC factual program concerning the Israel-Gaza conflict,” Ofcom noted.
more to follow
