Research led by Jewish-British lawyer Trevor Asserson revealed that the BBC breached its own editorial guidelines more than 1,500 times during the height of the Israel-Hamas war, The Telegraph reported on Saturday.
The report pointed to a “deeply worrying pattern of bias” against Israel, following an analysis of four months of the BBC content on television, radio, online news, podcasts, and social media. Asserson also reported that the BBC associated Israel with genocide 14 times more than Hamas in its coverage.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism and the National Jewish Assembly, two prominent Jewish organizations, have joined the growing chorus demanding an independent assessment of the BBC’s reporting practices. This comes as Lord Austin, who previously served as a Labour Party minister, criticized the broadcaster for its “high-handed arrogance” in repeatedly brushing aside concerns about its impartiality.
Danny Cohen, who previously held an executive position at the BBC, raised alarm bells on Saturday regarding the national broadcaster’s current state. Cohen asserted that the BBC is experiencing an “institutional crisis” and urged for an independent investigation into its reporting on the Israel-Hamas war. This statement adds to the mounting pressure on the BBC to address concerns about its journalistic practices.
Trevor Asserson, 67, was born in London to a Jewish family. His father was a businessman, his mother a writer and a broadcaster. He was the lead attorney in Don King Productions Inc. v Warren, in 1998, a major dispute between boxing promoters in the US and the UK. King received $12 million in an out-of-court settlement. In his arguments, Asserson highlighted King’s philanthropic contributions to Jewish charities, including a $1 million donation to a London school for Jewish special-needs children.
The Asserson Report revealed significant concerns about the BBC’s adherence to its own editorial standards.
The study, which spanned four months starting from October 7, 2023, employed a multidisciplinary approach:
- Scope: Analyzed 9 million words of BBC content
- Methodology: Utilized artificial intelligence technologies
- Team: Involved approximately 20 lawyers and 20 data scientists
The report’s findings were striking:
1,553 instances where BBC content allegedly violated internal guidelines
Breaches pertained to key journalistic principles including, impartiality, accuracy, editorial values, and public interest.
“The findings reveal a deeply worrying pattern of bias and multiple breaches by the BBC of its own editorial guidelines on impartiality, fairness, and establishing the truth,” the report said.
The Asserson Report highlighted several contentious issues in the BBC’s reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict:
- Portrayal imbalance: minimized Hamas’s terrorist actions; depicted Israel as predominantly aggressive and militaristic
- Journalist concerns: some BBC contributors reportedly demonstrated pro-Hamas sympathies; there were instances of these journalists celebrating Hamas’s violent acts.
High-profile correspondents under scrutiny: Jeremy Bowen, BBC’s international editor, was accused of rationalizing Hamas’s terrorist activities; he drew comparisons between Israel and Putin’s Russia. Lyse Doucet, BBC’s chief international correspondent, downplayed the severity of the October 7 atrocities.
The Asserson Report’s analysis of the BBC’s coverage extends to its international branches, with particularly stark findings regarding the BBC Arabic channel:
- Overall assessment: BBC Arabic was identified as one of the most biased global media outlets covering the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- Reporter vetting concerns: 11 specific instances highlighted; reporters with problematic backgrounds, such as prior public statements supporting terrorism, and specific expressions of support for Hamas.
- Key issue: Viewers were not informed of reporters’ controversial history.
