BBC their documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone” (Gaza: How to Survive on the Warpath) has officially apologized for serious errors. The documentary was removed from BBC iPlayer when it was discovered that its 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah, is the son of a senior Hamas official.
- Insufficient disclosure: The BBC reported that the independent production company Hoyo Films did not inform them in advance that the boy's father was the deputy agriculture minister in the Hamas government.
- Editorial failure: The BBC confirmed that it repeatedly asked whether Abdullah and his family had any ties to Hamas, but the production company kept the matter secret.
- Payment to the family: Hoyo Films admitted that they paid a “limited amount of money” through Abdullah’s mother’s bank account. However, they claimed that in no way did this money go to Hamas or any of its affiliates.
- The BBC has confirmed that the documentary will no longer be broadcast or brought back to iPlayer.
- Hoyo Films has been asked to provide its financial statements in order to conduct a full financial audit of the documentary.
- The BBC Board has acknowledged that while the content of the documentary is important, the lack of transparency has hurt BBC journalism.
- More than 500 media professionals, including Gary Lineker, Anita Rani and Riz Ahmed, have criticized the BBC's move.
- Hoyo Films explained their position, saying, “It is important to tell the stories of those who have suffered but lost their voices on the battlefield.”
The BBC has already begun reviewing its editorial policies, and is working to restore trust in the organization's journalism.
