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BBC News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC statement about Gaza: Doctors Under Attack
BBC News is determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly. Over a year ago we commissioned Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, a documentary about the plight of medics in Gaza, from an independent production company, Basement Films. We paused production of this film in April, having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing. With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms. Yesterday it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster. Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films. Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes. Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film. The BBC has produced powerful coverage of this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced award winning documentaries such as Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101. We have also investigated allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel's attacks on Gaza's hospitals. Just today we are running a powerful piece of longform journalism that captures the final two weeks inside a Gaza hospital before it was forced to close. We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.
South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
BBC Breakfast boss takes extended leave after allegations about behaviour
Richard Frediani has been in charge of the morning show since 2019 and accepted a Bafta last month when BBC Breakfast: The Post Office Special scooped the news coverage award. Media outlets reported that an internal investigation is being carried out following allegations of bullying. BBC News reported that an HR adviser from consultancy firm PwC is also supporting the corporation as it looks into the culture of the morning TV show. Meanwhile, The Sun newspaper has reported that BBC bosses have spoken to Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty about two alleged incidents, which include an allegation of bullying, in three years. A BBC spokesperson said: 'While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously.' It is understood that any complaint at the BBC is reviewed on its own merits and the appropriate action taken as a result, with a range of actions on the table. In April, BBC executives Tim Davie and Samir Shah vowed that 'today is the day we draw a line in the sand' after an independent review found some 'well-known names' are 'not being held to account for poor behaviour'. The workplace culture review, led by management consultant Grahame Russell from Change Associates, was launched in the wake of the furore over disgraced former newsreader Huw Edwards.
Western Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
BBC will not broadcast Gaza documentary over ‘perception of partiality' risk
The corporation commissioned Gaza: Doctors Under Attack more than a year ago from an independent production company called Basement Films. The documentary includes witness accounts from frontline Palestinian health workers in Gaza and documents attacks on hospitals and clinics. It was delayed by the BBC until an ongoing review into a different programme in the region was completed. Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster BBC The BBC pulled the documentary How To Survive A Warzone in February after it emerged that its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. The corporation has now confirmed that Gaza: Doctors Under Attack will not air on the BBC at all. In a statement, the BBC said they had paused production of this film in April, having made a decision that they could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing. The BBC said that with both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. 'However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC BBC 'For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms. 'Yesterday, it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. 'We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. 'Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster. 'Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films. 'Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes. We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially BBC 'Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film,' the BBC said. The corporation added: 'We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.' Last month, Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and comedian Frankie Boyle were among hundreds of signatories calling on the BBC to air the documentary. The letter, signed by figures from across the film, TV, journalism and cultural sectors, was sent on behalf of the UK Screen Industry, made up of a 'group of concerned film and TV professionals'. Earlier this month, the BBC defended its coverage of the war in Gaza, after the White House criticised its reporting of an apparent incident in the territory, which reportedly left a number of people dead. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the corporation, after updating an article's headline with new information, had to 'correct and take down' its story about fatalities and injuries following a reported incident near an aid distribution centre in Rafah. The BBC said it had not removed its story and explained that its headlines about the incident were 'updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources', which is 'totally normal practice'.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC shelves Gaza doc over impartiality concerns
The BBC says it has decided not to broadcast a documentary about doctors working in Gaza, due to impartiality concerns it has surrounding the production. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by the BBC but produced by an independent production company. It was originally scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not yet aired on any BBC outlet. In a statement, the BBC said it was "determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly". BBC News has contacted production company Basement Films for comment. Its founder Ben de Pear said earlier this week the BBC had "utterly failed" and that journalists were "being stymied and silenced". The BBC said it was "transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films". BBC News understands the decision to shelve the documentary was taken on Thursday, following public comments by De Pear at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, and another of the film's directors, journalist Ramita Navai, who appeared on Radio 4's Today programme discussing the war in Gaza. A different documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer earlier this year after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack - also known as Gaza: Medics Under Fire - is said to examine the experiences of Palestinian medics working during the war in Gaza. The film is directed by Karim Shah, Navai and De Pear, a former editor of Channel 4 News. In a statement on Friday, the BBC said it had commissioned the documentary over a year ago, but paused the film in April, "having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing". "With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. "However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. "For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms. "Yesterday [Thursday], it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC." The corporation added that, contrary to some reports, the documentary had "not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes", adding: "Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film." It continued: "We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially." Speaking at the Sheffield Documentary Festival on Thursday, before the decision was announced, De Pear specifically blamed director general Tim Davie for refusing to air the film. "All the decisions about our film were not taken by journalists, they were taken by Tim Davie," he claimed while taking part in a panel, as reported by Broadcast. "He is just a PR person. Tim Davie is taking editorial decisions which, frankly, he is not capable of making." He added: "The BBC's primary purpose is TV news and current affairs, and if it's failing on that it doesn't matter what drama it makes or sports it covers. It is failing as an institution. And if it's failing on that then it needs new management. "Something needs to happen because they are making decisions from a PR defensive point of view rather than a journalistic one. If you make a decision on a journalistic basis you can defend it, but if you make it on a PR basis, you can't." In relation to the war, De Pear claimed staff at the BBC "are being forced to use language they don't recognise, they are not describing something as it clearly is [for fear of impartiality] and it's tragic". Responding to De Pear's comments, a BBC spokesperson said the BBC "totally reject[s] this characterisation of our coverage". "The BBC has continually produced powerful journalism about this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced original investigations such as those into allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel's use of bunker buster bombs and in-depth documentaries including the award-winning Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101." High-profile figures such as actress Susan Sarandon and presenter Gary Lineker have previously accused the corporation of censorship over the delay. An open letter, which was also signed by cultural figures such as Dame Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh, said: "This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression." "No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling," it continued. "This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honoured." 'I lost trust' in Gaza film, says BBC boss Tim Davie
Leader Live
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
BBC Breakfast boss takes extended leave after allegations about behaviour
Richard Frediani has been in charge of the morning show since 2019 and accepted a Bafta last month when BBC Breakfast: The Post Office Special scooped the news coverage award. Media outlets reported that an internal investigation is being carried out following allegations of bullying. BBC News reported that an HR adviser from consultancy firm PwC is also supporting the corporation as it looks into the culture of the morning TV show. Meanwhile, The Sun newspaper has reported that BBC bosses have spoken to Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty about two alleged incidents, which include an allegation of bullying, in three years. A BBC spokesperson said: 'While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously.' It is understood that any complaint at the BBC is reviewed on its own merits and the appropriate action taken as a result, with a range of actions on the table. In April, BBC executives Tim Davie and Samir Shah vowed that 'today is the day we draw a line in the sand' after an independent review found some 'well-known names' are 'not being held to account for poor behaviour'. The workplace culture review, led by management consultant Grahame Russell from Change Associates, was launched in the wake of the furore over disgraced former newsreader Huw Edwards.
