BBC Arabic defended as lone voice in region for giving ‘Israeli perspective’ | BBC
A senior BBC executive has argued that BBC Arabic is the only voice in the region covering the “Israeli perspective” and warned critics of the BBC that it was pursuing stories ignored by Gulf state media.
The company’s Arabic service has come under constant criticism in recent years for its selection of news and for featuring some guests who have expressed anti-Semitic views on social media. Even calls were made. service will be closed.
In an interview with the Guardian, BBC World Service director Fiona Crack said the company had apologized for errors in the service and was taking action to fix them.
But he also warned critics of BBC Arabic that without it the Arab world would lose one of the only independent and impartial outlets in the region that reaches around 40 million people every week. “What would happen if BBC did not have Arabic? For example, we would not be able to hear the Israeli perspective and Israeli experience in the Gaza war,” he said. “We wouldn’t hear about Israel’s internal political debates.
“This wouldn’t happen in the Arab-speaking world if BBC didn’t have Arabic, because they do the same kind of news from the same perspective as all BBC News.
“[The criticism from the UK] It is a disconnect. Of course, since they carry Israel’s point of view and thoughts to Arabic publications, they are attacked, sometimes very loudly, on the grounds that, unlike everyone else, they are pro-Israeli in their own markets. “It’s very difficult, especially when you live in these environments.”
Crack also said that early in the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, the service reported serious incidents in the region that were ignored by other media. “There was a big oil refinery fire in Saudi Arabia, there were jets shot down,” he said. “BBC Arabic was covering it because they were double-sourced, because we did the journalism.
“The other major Arabic channels weren’t like that because, of course, they were primarily owned by the Gulf countries and there was a reticence. That highlighted to me that the same effort that we have here is happening around the world.”
Crack said many countries in BBC Arabic’s region ranked low in media freedom rankings compiled by Reporters Without Borders. Among 180 countries, Syria ranks 177th, Afghanistan 175th, Egypt 170th, UAE 164th and Saudi Arabia 162nd.
Crack’s defense of the service follows an 18-month period during which the BBC overhauled editorial control of BBC Arabic. In the United Kingdom, criticism followed for its output compared to the BBC’s mainstream output and its selection of stories, as well as its selection of contributors.
Much of the criticism was repeated in a memo to the BBC’s board last year by Michael Prescott, the former independent external adviser to the BBC’s broadcasting rules and standards committee.
The note mentioned a writer who had previously stated on the Internet that Jews should be burned “like Hitler did.” The BBC has previously said he should not have come forward in this way.
Another prominent person had described Jews online as “evil”. The BBC said last May that the person had been banned from contributing in the future.
Crack said many of the criticisms in the Prescott report had already been addressed, including deeper checks on contributors and oversight by a new Arabic-speaking editorial quality and standards manager.
“There were mistakes,” he said. “We said where there were mistakes, we apologized for them, and we looked at our systems to strengthen them.”
“Public service media around the world is under threat,” Crack said. “We must be very careful [when] He attacks him. “It’s worth thinking about how unique BBC Arabic is in that area and the scale of what they’re trying to do.”
