The BBC Is No Longer Fair, Objective, Or Reliable

After a year and a half of destruction of the Gazan Strip, in the wake of a ceasefire deal that Israel betrayed, questions are being raised surrounding every major news outlet. Perhaps the outlet that has come under the most fire is the BBC. Being one of the most prestigious news outlets in the world, the BBC has a lot of responsibility when faced with misinformation campaigns. But is it living up to that responsibility?

Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News, writes in a mission statement: “at the BBC we are in service to the whole of the public. We know that the trust people place in us is earned.” When 55% of the public support the ending of Britain’s arms trade with Israel, it seems that Turness is unaware what it is “the whole of the public” actually wants. 

On January 19th, 2025, a ceasefire deal that involved the return of hostages from both sides was set into motion, and the BBC failed enormously to report on it fairly. Looking back over the many articles they have produced regarding the ceasefire shows a clear rhetoric of sympathy for Israel and, at best, apathy towards Palestine. The very fact that the sheer disparity in numbers is not being raised by the BBC speaks volumes of their bias. So far, over 2,000 Palestinian hostages have been released as part of the current ceasefire deal, while 25 Israeli prisoners have been released in return. While it seems blazingly obvious just from these numbers who the real victims of the genocide are, the BBC still only focuses on the welfare and stories of the Israeli prisoners.

Is this the fairness and respect that the BBC promised to us? The outlet, known for its commitment “to achieving due impartiality in all its output” , has failed time and again to make good on its promises while continuing to quash any perspectives critical of Israel, as evidenced by its censorship of and apology for its documentary, “Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone.” This documentary was one of the instances in which the BBC had shown any fairness in its reporting of the genocide, but it was quickly removed from iPlayer and an apology issued following complaints from pro-Israeli groups. In succumbing to the pro-Israel opinions while actively ignoring those of pro-Palestinian groups, the BBC has proved once and for all exactly which side of the conflict it stands on. 

The targeting of BBC’s headquarters by direct action group Palestine Action has shone a crucial light on their complicity in the genocide, and, hopefully, will serve as the first step towards the news outlet taking some real accountability for its failures.