An Open Letter to BBC Management

Written by BBC Journalists and Signed by Media Industry Professionals

A message to the BBC Director General, the Board of Governors and our BBC Colleagues.

We’re writing to express our concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine.  We believe the refusal to broadcast the documentary ‘Gaza: Medics Under Fire’ is just one in a long line of agenda driven decisions. It demonstrates, once again, that the BBC is not reporting “without fear or favour” when it comes to Israel.

We understand that a decision not to broadcast the investigation has been taken by senior BBC management despite the film’s content being signed off in accordance with BBC guidelines and editorial policy. This appears to be a political decision and is not reflective of the journalism in the film.  A recent statement from the BBC said broadcasting the film “risked creating the perception of partiality".This illustrates precisely what many of us have experienced first hand: an organisation that is crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government. 

We are not asking the BBC to take a side.  We are asking to be allowed to do our jobs in delivering facts transparently and with due context. For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences.  As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government's involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have  failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications.  These stories have instead been broken by the BBC’s competitors.   

This hasn’t happened by accident, rather by design. Much of the BBC’s coverage in this area is defined by anti-Palestinian racism.  The inconsistent manner in which guidance is applied draws into focus the role of Sir Robbie Gibb, on the BBC Board and BBC’s Editorial Standards Committee. We are concerned that an individual with close ties to the Jewish Chronicle, an outlet that has repeatedly published anti-Palestinian and often racist content, has a say in the BBC's editorial decisions in any capacity, including the decision not to broadcast ‘Gaza: Medics Under Fire’. 

This conflict of interest highlights a double standard for BBC content makers who have themselves experienced censorship in the name of ‘impartiality’.  In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media. By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask license fee payers to overlook Gibbs’ ideological allegiances.

Since October 2023 it has become increasingly clear to our audiences that the BBC’s reporting on Israel / Palestine falls short of our own editorial standards. There is a gulf between the BBC’s coverage of what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank and what our audiences can see is happening via multiple credible sources including human rights organisations, staff at the UN and journalists on the ground. Whilst there has been some exceptional content from some areas of the BBC (within documentary and from some individual correspondents for example), news in particular has failed to report the reality and the context of the war on Palestinians. All too often it has felt that the BBC has been performing PR for the Israeli government and military.  This should be a cause of great shame and concern for everyone at the BBC.    

Despite these failings, there has been a major shift within public discourse in recent months.  Increasingly the scale of Israel's crimes against the Palestinians are being understood by the public as well as many of our parliamentarians.  The BBC’s editorial decisions seem increasingly out of step with reality.  We have been forced to conclude that decisions are made to fit a political agenda rather than serve the needs of audiences.  As industry insiders and as BBC staff, we have experienced this first hand. The issue has become even more urgent with recent escalations in the region.  Again, BBC coverage has appeared to downplay Israel's role, reinforcing an ‘Israel first’ framing that compromises our credibility. 

We, the undersigned BBC staff, freelancers and industry figures are extremely concerned that the BBC’s reporting on Israel and Palestine continues to fall short of the standards our audiences expect.  We believe the role of Robbie Gibb, both on the Board, and as part of the Editorial Standards Committee, is untenable. We call on the BBC to do better for our audiences and recommit to our values of impartiality, honesty and reporting without fear or favour.  

Up to date signatures

Signed by:

112 BBC Journalists

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, Senior Journalist, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, Senior Journalist, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, Senior Journalist, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, Producer, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Executive

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News Arabic

Anonymous, BBC Digital

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Digital

Anonymous, BBC iPlayer

Anonymous, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC iPlayer

Anonymous, BBC iPlayer

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, Senior Journalist, BBC News

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Nations & Regions

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC News

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC News

Anonymous, Assistant Editor, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC HR

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC World Service

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC Panorama

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News Channel

Anonymous, BBC TV Current Affairs

Anonymous, BBC News NI

Anonymous, BBC Panorama

Anonymous, BBC NI

Anonymous, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, Journalist and Presenter, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, BBC Operations

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Studios

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Digital

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC

Anonymous, BBC

Anonymous, BBC

Anonymous, BBC Drama

Anonymous, BBC

Anonymous, Senior Journalist, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Nations & Regions

Anonymous, BBC Nations & Regions

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC

Anonymous, BBC Audio

Anonymous, BBC Nations & Regions

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Radio

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC News

Anonymous, BBC Nations & Regions

Anonymous, BBC World Service

Anonymous, BBC Arabic

Anonymous, Journalist, BBC World Service

306 Media Industry Figures

Juliet Stevenson, Actor

Khalid Abdalla, Actor

Zawe Ashton, Actor

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, Author and Activist

Afua Hirsch, Writer and Broadcaster

Mike Leigh, Film Director

Miriam Margolyes, Actor and Presenter

William Dalrymple, Writer and Presenter

Owen Jones, Writer, The Guardian

Mariayah Kaderbhai, Director of Programmes

Ben de Pear, Founder of Basement Films and former Editor of Channel 4 News

Misan Harriman, Photographer

Farah Nabulsi, Filmmaker

Denise Gough, Actor

Alexei Sayle, Actor

Aiysha Hart, Actor

India Willoughby, Broadcaster

Rivkah Brown, Journalist

John Parker, Freelance Video Editor

Professor Des Freedman, Department of Media & Communications, Goldsmiths, University of London

Roger McKenzie, International Editor of the Morning Star

Tam Dean Burn, Actor

Daniel York Loh, Actor

Vivian Munn, Actor

Thusitha Jayasundera, Actor

Bilal Hasna, Actor

Dr Iain Overton, Author and lecturer in Journalism, Birkbeck, University of London

Salman Akhtar, Actor

Fionn Ó Loingsigh, Actor

Sara Masry, Actor and Writer

Lina Caicedo, Archive Producer

Sule Rimi, Actor

Professor Dina Matar, Political Communication and Arab Media, SOAS

Dr Zahera Harb, Journalism Academic and Writer

Dr Milly Williamson, Goldsmiths University of London

Jasleen Kaur Sethi, Director

George Newman, Producer

Rose Glandfield, Documentary Editor

Jessica Kelly, Freelance Filmmaker

Majdolin Hasan, Global Investigative Journalism Network

Claire Read, Long-form podcast editor, The Economist

Yousef Jubeh, Freelance Film Editor

Alia Ibrahim, Daraj Media

June Cross, Secret Daughter Productions

Alexander Durie, Freelance Journalist

Raman Mohial, Camera Operator

Hala Droubi, Journalist

Meriem el Boudadi, Media Analyst

Alex King, Freelance Journalist

Aina J Khan, Freelance Journalist

Selma Chalabi, Freelance Producer and Presenter

Dhruti Shah, Freelance Journalist

Mais Al-Bayaa, Freelance Journalist

Muhammad Elashiry, Freelance Writer

Nada-Mai Issa, Freelance Journalist and Filmmaker

Yas Almosawi, Freelance Editor

Nahed Najjar, Freelance Journalist

Horia El Hadad, Al Jazeera English

Satmohan Panesar, Freelance Creative Executive

Anabelle Marshall, Director

Laurie Kirwan-Ashman, Writer-director

Abla Kandalaft, ex BBC Arabic

Sophie Binyon, Freelance Producer

Chloe Massey, Voice Over Artist and Actor

Toral Dixit, Producer Director

Omar Bynon, Theatre-Maker

Farah Qayum, Producer Director

Nina Milns, Writer

Annie Siddons, Writer

Toby Clarkson, Editor

Amer Sultan, Middle East Monitor

Liam O’Hare, Freelance Director/Producer

Riffy Ahmed, Writer/Director

Catherine Happer, Glasgow University Media Group

Gholam Khiabany, Goldsmiths, University of London

Professor Catherine Rottenberg, Goldsmiths, University of London

Miriyam Aouragh, Professor of Digital Anthropology, University of Westminster

Cesar Caldito, Al Jazeera English

Fred Henson, Blackleaf Films

Anjana Stephens, Assistant Producer

Hanna Flint, Journalist

Claire Eaton-Rutter, Journalist and Editor

Natalie Janicka, Production Co-ordinator

Adam Miller, Freelance Journalist

Ruth Lass, Actor

Emma Kelly, Freelance Journalist

Kwami Odoom, Actor

Vanessa Bowles, Freelancer Filmmaker

Jo Stone Fewings, Actor

Kevin Twomey, Presenter

Greg McHugh, Actor

Lucy Sheen, Actor

Elias Suhail, Director

Elias Millward, Production Manager

Bassel Ghandour, Producer

Bushra Siddiq, Development Producer

Ruth Sweeney, Producer

Jessica Lyne de Ver, Director

Mark Oosterveen, Actor/Writer/Director

Grant Keir, Film Producer

Min Molloy, Producer

Ellen E Jones, Writer and Broadcaster

Toby Parker Rees, Writer/Director

Lorine Plafnol, Film Producer

Richard Sanders, Freelance Film Director

Sophie Toumazis, Media Consultant

Judith Jacob, Actor

Elham Ehsas, Actor

Zoe Mello, Producer

Larry Ryan, Writer and Editor

Chris Beresford, Freelance Film Editor

Rick Politz, Freelance Producer Director

Havana Marking, Director

Norma Dixit, Actor

George Hughes, Filmmaker

Maria Norrman, Artist and Filmmaker

Dr. John A Smith, Freelance director

Ollie Craig, Director of Photography

Leo Fawkes, Director

Himesh Kar, Film Producer

Anna Griffin, Film Producer

Alethea Lindsay, Freelance Producer/Editor

Charlotte Bairsto, Producer

Danielle Hailstones, Editor

Florence Kennard, Freelance film editor

Abir Awad, Former BBC Staff

James Joseph Boyle, Actor

Rubia Dar, Producer/Director

Alina Kolosova, Filmmaker

Callum Macrae, Filmmaker

Hannah Kelso, Writer/Director

Shaista Aziz, Journalist

Alex Fry, Freelance Editor

Rebecca O'Brien, Film Producer

Lucy Conley, Actor

Tara Creme, Freelance Composer

Yacine Helali, Filmmaker

Nikita Lalwani, Screenwriter

Emma Partridge, Freelance Makeup Artist

Malcolm Garrett MBE RDI, Designer

Richard Melman, Freelance Executive Producer

Stephen Mulholland, Film Editor

Sue Carpenter, Independent filmmaker

Natasha Carpenter Ballard, Director of Development

Nisha Parti, Film Producer

Andin Ngwa, Development Executive

Siân Robins-Grace, Film Writer

Charlie Phillips, Documentary Producer

Lawrence Meads, Sound Operator

Mark Summers, Freelance Film Editor

Tanika Gupta, Writer

Lewis Peake, Concept Artist

Marianna Karakoulaki, Freelance Journalist

Uri Fruchtmann, Film Producer

Paul Ewen, writer

Hussina Raja, Actor

Heidi Perry, Ex. BBC Staff Producer/Director

Reece Cargan, Film Producer

Tara Kelly, Art Department

Prof Natalie Fenton, Goldsmiths University of London

Fionn Walton, Actor

Peter Brown, Retired Lawyer

India Amarteifio, Actor

Sasha Nathwani, Filmmaker

Amal Al-Agroobi, Filmmaker

Fran Robertson, Producer/Director

Ellena Wood, Freelance Director

Dima Hamdan, Film Director

Rebecca Lloyd-Evans, Film Director

Raisah Ahmed, Writer/Director

Paul Sng, Filmmaker

Wajeeha Sheikh, Assistant Producer

Ruhi Hamid, Filmmaker

Amrit Wilson, Freelance Journalist

Pamela Gordon, Director Producer

Archie Lauchlan, Independent Documentary Filmmaker

Thembi Mutch, Freelance Journalist

James Gold, Freelance Editor

Aysha Rafaele, Director /Exec Producer

Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director

Damian Paul Daniel, Cameraman

Elliot Barrett, First Assistant Editor

Polly Steele, Freelance Filmmaker

Karishma Patel, Journalist ex. BBC

Dr Michael Hrebeniak, Dept. of Culture, Communication & Media, UCL

Alan Hayling, Documentary Producer

Ellie Kendrick, Screenwriter

Olive James, Actor

Merilyn Moos, UCU

Marc Sorrentino, Company Director

Harry Williams , Writer and Producer

Professor Aisha K. Gill, University of Bristol

Paola dionisotti, Actor

Selma Dabbagh, Writer

Joth Shakerley, Photographer

Tahnee Shakerley, Marketing Manager

Mike Lerner, Producer

Lucy Miller, Freelance Actor, Writer, Director and Filmmaker

Charlotte Kilpatrick, Journalist

Louay Ismail, Executive Producer & Media Consultant

Jil Schaffner, Actor and Director

Ramzy Haddad, Producer and Director

Charlie Melville, Producer and Director

Shelley Gill, Talent Manager

Claudio Rojas, Retired Radio Programmes Producer

Jack Cocker, Producer and Director

Kate Morris, Freelance Journalist

Rohan Sudan, Development Co-ordinator

Alessandra Masi, Artist

Jenny Ash, Director

Jen Brister, Stand-up Comedian

Maegan Tillock, Producer

Jessi Gutch, Independent Filmmaker

Rosamund Walwin, Producer

Charles Dance, Actor

Allegra Donn, Freelance Journalist and Writer

Rakie Ayola, Actor

Hashim Alsaraf, Production Manager

Jeanette Calliva, PR Director

Talah Kaddourah, Producer

Colm Martin, Producer

Javier Farje, Freelance Senior Producer ex BBC World Service

Ciana O’Muireadhaigh, Composer

Elena Battista, Editor

Marcelo Justo, Journalist

Trevor Murphy, Film & TV Camera Department

Hannah Dakin, Photographer

Enos Desjardins, Sound Designer

Gaz Evans, Freelance Editor

Laura Fraser, Writer

Thomas Macnab, Series Director

Natasha Menon, Artist

María Esperanza Sánchez, Freelance Journalist

Paul Lee, Filmmaker and Producer

Faris Couri, Retired, Former BBC Editor

Patrick Richmond Nicholas, Photographer

Lora Ghany, University of the Arts London

Natalie Hill, Freelance Screenwriter

Dara Kell, Filmmaker

Catherine Meyburgh, Filmmaker

Edwin Angless, COO

Holly Falconer, Photographer

Karim Shah, Producer/Director

Geoff Arbourne, Producer

Eenan Ma, Irish Screen Editors Guild

Tarik Sabry, Academic

Kat Amara-korba, Producer

Sima Motamen-Samadian, Retired University Lecturer

Gabriella ODonnell, Freelance Journalist and Ex BBC staffer

María Esperanza Sánchez, Freelance, ex BBC journalist

Carl Klink, AFP

Nicola Cutcher, Freelance Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker

Sara Afshar, Journalist and Filmmaker

Dr Robina Qureshi, CEO

Anonymous, Freelance Producer/Director

Anonymous, TV Presenter

Anonymous, Sky News

Anonymous, Freelance Video Editor

Anonymous, Investigative Journalist

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Playwright

Anonymous, Documentary Producer

Anonymous, Film Producer

Anonymous, Metro

Anonymous, Director

Anonymous, The Times & Sunday Times

Anonymous, Writer & Director

Anonymous, Journalist

Anonymous, Journalist

Anonymous, Film Producer

Anonymous, Assistant Producer

Anonymous, The Times

Anonymous, Freelance Editor

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Director

Anonymous, Production Designer

Anonymous, Editor

Anonymous, Assistant Producer

Anonymous, Freelance writer and former BBC producer

Anonymous, Consultant

Anonymous, Second Assistant Editor

Anonymous, Actress and Narrator

Anonymous, Artist

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Events

Anonymous, Operations Assistant

Anonymous, Executive Director

Anonymous, Producer

Anonymous, Artist

Anonymous, Photographer

Anonymous, Executive Assistant

Anonymous, Journalist/Documentary Filmmaker

Anonymous, Freelance Journalist and Documentary Producer

Anonymous, Freelance Producer and Former Employee of BBC News

Anonymous, Director

Anonymous, Broadcaster

Anonymous, Camera Assistant and Photographer

Anonymous, Director, Writer and Producer

Anonymous, Journalist

Anonymous, Journalist

Anonymous, Journalist

Anonymous, Author

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Playwright and screenwriter

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Actor

Anonymous, Freelance Producer