Why Michael Prescott’s Bbc Memo Was Misguided on Israel-Palestine

The Controversy Surrounding Michael Prescott’s Memo

Middle East Eye (MEE) has meticulously scrutinized a portion of the internal memo sent by Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards committee. This memo was leaked this month and has sparked significant controversy, leading to the resignations of two senior BBC executives.

Prescott’s Claims and Criticisms

According to the memo, Prescott asserts that the BBC exhibits a bias in its reporting on Israel. He concludes that pro-Palestinian observers struggle to make a compelling case for such an alleged bias against Israel. However, MEE’s analysis reveals numerous errors of fact and interpretation, along with several omissions that cast doubt on the accuracy of Prescott’s claims.

Prescott’s Exclusions: Palestinian Criticisms

One notable oversight in Prescott’s memo is his failure to address coherent criticisms that the BBC has been biased against Palestinians. For instance, he did not highlight instances where the BBC presented footage of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attacking Dutch people as if it depicted attacks by Dutch racists against Jews. The memo belatedly acknowledged this could have given a misleading impression but failed to draw attention to this example.

Israeli Influence on Editorial Guidelines

The memo also omits the presence of Robbie Gibb, who for several years was the sole owner of the Jewish Chronicle and served on the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards committee. This point is particularly relevant given that there were no remotely comparable pro-Palestinian figures on the same committee.

Missing Voices in Mainstream Reporting

In his survey, Prescott does not consider examples of misreporting by omission such as the absence of prominent Palestinian voices like Avi Shlaim and Ilan Pappe. Similarly, he fails to mention that Martin Shaw, a genocide scholar, is invited by news organizations but not the BBC.

Biased Reporting Analysis

An in-depth analysis by the Centre for Media Monitoring found that when measured proportionally to the 34:1 Gazan-Israeli death toll, the BBC gave Israeli deaths far more coverage across articles and TV/radio broadcasts. The memo does not address this finding.

Use of Loaded Language

The BBC used emotive language three and a half times more for Israeli victims, applied “massacre” almost 18 times more frequently to Israeli casualties, and used “murder” 220 times for Israelis compared to just once for Palestinians. The memo does not mention these biases.

Humanizing of Victims

The memo notes that the BBC was twice as likely to interview an Israeli as a Palestinian. It also mentions that only six percent of Palestinian journalists killed were reported, while 42 percent in Ukraine were covered. However, it fails to address this aspect.

Factual Errors and Omissions

The memo contains several factual errors regarding the discovery of mass graves at al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals. It incorrectly states that people buried there had died or been killed prior to the arrival of Israeli ground forces. In fact, Israeli actions during the siege led to these deaths.

Testimonies Ignored

MEE notes that Prescott did not refer to testimony from Dr Atef al-Hout, who confirmed that people were forced to bury bodies due to the Israeli siege of Nasser Hospital. Additionally, he ignored evidence from Doctors Without Borders and Mark Perlmutter’s account of children being buried alive.

OHCHR Report Dismissed

The memo claims the BBC did not cover evidence Israel had uncovered of Hamas operating in Nasser Hospital. However, MEE points out that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found insufficient information to substantiate these allegations by year’s end.

Medical Expertise and Misreporting

A specific example cited is the correction made by the BBC regarding a headline about a Palestinian woman who died in Italy. The memo incorrectly states that she had serious preexisting conditions, but MEE notes there was no definitive evidence of this claim.

Conclusion

A Selective Analysis

Middle East Eye’s analysis reveals that Michael Prescott’s memo is riddled with errors and omissions. His selective focus on alleged pro-Israel bias while ignoring evidence of biased coverage against Palestinians undermines the credibility of his claims. The BBC remains at the center of ongoing debates about media bias in reporting on Israel-Palestine, but a balanced and comprehensive approach to these discussions is essential.