An inquiry into the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict has been requested, following the broadcaster’s failure to label Hamas as terrorists.
Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, has written to Caroline Dinenage, Chair of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, requesting a formal inquiry.
He wrote: “I would like to strongly suggest that the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee commits to an inquiry into media coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict when current hostilities end.
“In particular, I would ask that the inquiry look at reporting and commentary by the BBC during the conflict on radio, television, and websites.
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“The use of non-British reporters in Gaza, the acceptance of Hamas claims at face value, opinions offered by interviewers (including those on the ‘Today’ programme on Radio 4) all throw the impartiality of the BBC into doubt.
“This has not helped the reputation of the BBC and I hope the Committee will undertake this inquiry.”
Yesterday, Ofcom refused to intervene after Fabricant sent a direct request to the regulator to intervene in the wake of a misleading Today programme interview, where a BBC broadcaster falsely claimed she could not call Hamas terrorists.
Mishal Husain, the presenter, incorrectly said that she was unable to use the word “terrorist” due to “Ofcom rules”.
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Fabricant wrote to Dame Melanie Dawes, the boss of the broadcast regulator, however Ofcom replied stating it would not investigate the Beeb.
In a letter seen by GB News, Ofcom said all complaints must be dealt with first by the BBC before being passed on to the regulator.
It read: “Under the BBC Charter and Agreement, approved by Parliament, complaints about BBC editorial content must be dealt with under a ‘BBC First’ framework.
“This means that other than in exceptional circumstances, complainants need to complete the BBC complaints process before coming to Ofcom.”
Michael Fabricant wrote to Ofcom to investigate the Beeb, which they declined to do so
PAThe Lichfield MP told GB News that Ofcom was “passing the buck”.
“The complaint against the BBC directly involved Ofcom as Mishal Hussain on the ‘Today’ programme claimed, incorrectly, that it is Ofcom rules that expressly prevent the BBC describing Hamas as terrorists!”
He wrote to Ofcom’s top authority Dame Melanie Dawes, asserting his confidence that Ofcom guidelines do not forbid the use of the word “terrorist” when an act of terror has been committed.
Fabricant advised that Ofcom should instruct the BBC to correct their terminology and also apologise to their listeners.
