The BBC has ruled it was wrong for a presenter to describe Hamas as a “terror group”, prompting claims licence fee payers will be appalled their money is being wasted to protect the reputation of “murdering extremists”. A viewer of the BBC’s rolling news channel complained the presenter had breached BBC editorial policy following a broadcast on June 15.
Under its guidelines, the BBC only reports groups are “terror” or “terrorist” when they are termed as such by third parties for reasons of “due accuracy and impartiality”. The corporation’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that the use of the phrase “terror group” by the presenter breached the BBC’s editorial standards.
The finding was reported to managers at BBC News and “discussed” with those responsible, according to the ECU.
It comes after a heated debate over how the corporation labels Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist group by the Government.
Danny Cohen, a former director of BBC Television, told the Telegraph that licence-fee payers will be appalled that their money is being wasted trying to protect the reputation of extremists.
He claimed the BBC has stubbornly refused to recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation since the horrific atrocities of October 7, and now its editorial complaints unit is clamping down on presenters who make that simple statement of fact.
Mr Cohen said: “The ECU is clearly unfit for purpose. The BBC can no longer be allowed to mark its own homework.”
The BBC has been approached for comment.
Days after October 7, 2023, former prime minister Rishi Sunak said there was a “duty” to describe the attacks as an act of terrorism perpetrated by “an evil terrorist organisation”.
His remark was made during a meeting with Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, who claimed the BBC’s characterisation of Hamas was “a distortion of the facts”.
After claims in May 2024 that a British-Israeli hostage had died, then foreign secretary, Lord David Cameron, slammed the BBC for failing to describe Hamas as terrorists.
Veteran journalist, John Simpson, sought to explain the corporation’s position in an opinion piece published by the BBC in October 2023.
He said some of the world’s most respected news organisations pursue the same policy, but the BBC receives particular attention as it has “strong critics” in politics and the press.
Mr Simpson wrote: “We regularly point out that the British and other governments have condemned Hamas as a terrorist organisation, but that’s their business. We also run interviews with guests and quote contributors who describe Hamas as terrorists.
“The key point is that we don’t say it in our voice. Our business is to present our audiences with the facts, and let them make up their own minds.”