UK politician reveals she urged BBC to call Hamas 'terrorists'
UK Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer, admitted to having urged the BBC to refer to Hamas as "terrorists" in its news coverage in a private board meeting. This revelation came during a hearing where Frazer was questioned about her lobbying efforts by John Nicolson, a member of the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee. Sources from the private meeting expressed their surprise at Frazer's focus on Gaza over other issues such as the license fee settlement.
Frazer's stance on BBC's coverage of Hamas
When Nicolson said, "I'm told you kept coming back to (Hamas)," Frazer said that a variety of topics were discussed, including the license fee settlement. However, she acknowledged the BBC not calling Hamas "terrorists" was also discussed. "I put points to the BBC in a private meeting about something I had said publicly about the reasons why I thought their guidance allowed them to refer to Hamas as 'terrorists', and I put forward a number of points as to why."
'Not the BBC's job to tell people who to support'
Despite pressure from several senior government figures, including Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the BBC has consistently refrained from labeling Hamas as "terrorists." The term is only used when quoted. The corporation's World Affairs Editor, John Simpson, has previously stated that it is a "loaded word" and it is "simply not the BBC's job to tell people who to support and who to condemn."
BBC Chair to review coverage of Israel-Hamas war
Meanwhile, newly appointed BBC Chair, Samir Shah, has recently indicated a potential shift in the corporation's stance. He stated that he would "review" the BBC's coverage of the Israel-Hamas War, specifically whether or not to refer to Hamas as "terrorists." Previously, BBC News executives have acknowledged the challenges of covering the conflict, citing its "asymmetric nature," as the war, with an estimated 40,000 casualties and a recent arrest warrant issued for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, unfolds.
Frazer's previous accusations of BBC's 'bias'
A year ago, Frazer accused the BBC of bias but did not provide specific examples of impartiality failings. In the recent hearing, she defended her stance by stating that the issue was not about "small examples of impartiality" but about "impartiality as a whole within its organization." She cited independent reviews on topics like migration, economy, and taxation to support her argument.
