BBC Gaza Programme Ruled a 'Major' Infringement of Broadcasting Standards, States UK Media Regulator
The public service broadcaster engaged in a "major breach" of industry standards by not revealing that the narrator of a film about Gaza was the child of a Hamas representative, according to UK media regulator Ofcom.
An investigation by the broadcasting watchdog into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the documentary was "significantly deceptive".
The chief executive of the broadcaster had previously apologised, noting there had been "a major oversight in relation to factual correctness".
Ofcom has directed the corporation to broadcast a peak-time declaration about its conclusions.
"Given this constitutes a significant violation of our rules, we are instructing the corporation to transmit a announcement of our determinations against it on BBC Two at 21:00, with a timing to be confirmed," it said.
'Possibility to Undermine Credibility'
The watchdog's report said: "Our investigation concluded that the programme's lack of disclosure that the narrator's parent held a position in the Hamas-administered government was materially misleading.
"Consequently that the public did not have essential details which may have been very significant to their judgment of the presenter and the details he provided.
"Credibility is at the heart of the bond between a broadcaster and its public, particularly for a public service broadcaster such as the BBC.
"This failing had the risk to damage the significantly high amounts of credibility that viewers would have put in a factual film from the broadcaster about the Gaza conflict."
The programme was removed from iPlayer in last February after the boy's familial connections were revealed, and in the month of July an corporation's own inquiry found it breached the broadcaster's content policies on truthfulness.
A BBC spokesperson said: "The authority's determination is in accordance with the findings of Peter Johnston's review, that there was a significant failing in the programme in relation to the corporation's content standards on factual correctness, which reflects Rule 2.2 of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code.
"We have apologised for this and we comply with the authority's determination in full. We will adhere to the directive as soon as the schedule and wording are confirmed."