BBC Gaza documentary broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom says
UK media regulator Ofcom ruled that the BBC had committed a “serious breach” of broadcasting rules by failing to disclose that the narrator of a documentary about Gaza was the son of a Hamas official.
Ofcom’s investigation into Gaza: How to Survive in a War Zone has concluded that the program misled viewers.
“Our investigation found that the program’s failure to disclose that the narrator’s father served in the Hamas-run administration was materially misleading,” the watchdog said.
“This meant that the audience lacked critical information that would have been highly relevant to their evaluation of the narrator and the information he provided.”
The series was pulled from iPlayer in February after the child’s family ties were revealed, and in July the BBC’s internal review found the program had breached editorial guidelines on accuracy.
A BBC spokesman said: “Ofcom’s decision is in line with the findings of Peter Johnston’s review; there is a significant failure in the documentary in relation to the BBC’s Broadcasting Guidelines for Accuracy, which reflect Rule 2.2 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Rules.”
“We apologize for this and fully accept Ofcom’s decision. We will comply with the sanction as soon as the date and text are clear.”
