BBC Gaza Film Ruled a 'Significant' Infringement of Broadcasting Standards, States UK Media Regulator
The British broadcaster committed a "serious breach" of media regulations by failing to disclose that the voice of a programme about Gaza was the child of a Hamas administrator, as ruled by UK media regulator Ofcom.
An investigation by the broadcasting watchdog into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the programme was "significantly deceptive".
The chief executive of the broadcaster had already issued an apology, saying there had been "a serious error in relation to accuracy".
Ofcom has directed the corporation to broadcast a peak-time announcement about its findings.
"Given this constitutes a major infringement of our code, we are instructing the broadcaster to broadcast a message of our conclusions against it on BBC Two at 9pm, with a date to be determined," it said.
'Potential to Undermine Credibility'
The watchdog's announcement stated: "Our probe found that the programme's lack of disclosure that the presenter's male guardian occupied a role in the Hamas-controlled administration was significantly deceptive.
"It meant that the public did not have critical information which may have been highly relevant to their evaluation of the voice and the content he shared.
"Credibility is at the center of the bond between a broadcaster and its audience, especially for a public service broadcaster such as the BBC.
"This failing had the potential to undermine the exceptionally strong levels of trust that the public would have invested in a BBC factual programme about the Israel-Gaza war."
The film was removed from the online platform in the month of February after the boy's personal associations emerged, and in July an internal BBC review found it violated the organization's editorial guidelines on accuracy.
A representative for the broadcaster commented: "The regulator's decision is in accordance with the conclusions of Peter Johnston's review, that there was a major oversight in the film in relation to the broadcaster's journalistic policies on factual correctness, which corresponds to clause 2.2 of the regulator's media standards.
"We expressed regret for this and we accept the regulator's ruling in full. We will adhere to the directive as soon as the timing and language are determined."
