EXCLUSIVEThe BBC said it was “wrong” to speculate on who was responsible for the devastating blast at a Gaza City hospital amid internal turmoil over coverage of the tragedy.
After initially defending a report on the BBC News programme The contextThe company has now admitted that a journalist should not have speculated that Israel was behind the attack on the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Tuesday night.
The explosion, which killed hundreds of people, is highly controversial. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority in Gaza blamed Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “barbaric terrorists” attacked the hospital in Gaza.
Jon Donnison, a veteran BBC correspondent, told viewers: “Given the scale of the explosion it is hard to imagine what else it could be but an Israeli airstrike or several airstrikes.”
The comments sparked political outrage in Britain, with former culture secretary Nadine Dorries accusing the BBC of being a “propagandist” for Hamas. Home Secretary Robert Jenrick said the BBC’s reporting was “like a 21st century blood libel”.
BBC insiders also criticized the issue. A senior journalist told Deadline it was a “terrible” and “embarrassing” clip.
The BBC said in a statement Thursday that it had checked the reporting, which it described as “immediate analysis” based on Jerusalem. the company said The context repeatedly made it clear that it was not clear who was responsible for the attack, but that Donnison’s words could have been more carefully considered.
“We accept that even in this rapidly developing situation it was wrong to speculate in this way [Donnison] At no time was it reported to be an Israeli attack,” the BBC said.
“This does not represent the whole of the BBC broadcast and anyone who sees, hears or reads our reporting can see that we have set out both sides’ competing claims about the blast, showing clearly who is saying it and what we are doing or are doing. “I don’t. “I don’t know.”
The statement on Wednesday marked a change in the BBC’s position, saying: “We reject these allegations about our reporting; anyone who watches, listens or reads this can see that we have detailed both sides’ competing claims about the attack, and clearly indicate who says it and what we know and don’t know.
BBC News night was also accused of pointing the finger at Israel when international correspondent Emir Nader said: “The numbers and pictures speak for themselves.”
According to a BBC insider, there is a “widespread belief that the hospital was misreported.”
News night Presenter Victoria Derbyshire defended the show on Twitter, now known as “she said.
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
