Recommendations for BBC journalists:
The BBC Governors’ independent panel report on the impartiality of BBC coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict recommended that the BBC should make public an abbreviated version of its journalists’ guide to facts and terminology.
In other words the BBC wants to make sure that its journalists do not offend the Palestinians or the Israelis. See yourself the list of terminology that should be avoided in order not to enrage the Palestinians:
EAST JERUSALEM
…For example, the Foreign Office says it “regards the status of Jerusalem as still to be determined in permanent status negotiations between the parties. Pending agreement, we recognize de facto Israeli control of West Jerusalem but consider East Jerusalem to be occupied territory. We recognize no sovereignty over the city”.
We should seek out words that factually describe the reality on the ground and which are not politically loaded.
Avoid saying East Jerusalem “is part” of Israel or suggesting anything like it. Avoid the phrase “Arab East Jerusalem”, too, unless you also have space to explain that Israel has annexed the area and claims it as part of its capital. East Jerusalem is sometimes referred as Arab East Jerusalem, partly because it was under Jordanian control between 1949 and 1967.
The BBC should say East Jerusalem is “occupied” if it is relevant to the context of the story.
For example: “Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. It annexed the area in 1981 and sees it as its exclusive domain. Under international law the area is considered to be occupied territory.”
GAZA STRIP
…We need to be careful with our language so as not to give the impression that the BBC is favoring one side’s position. In BBC programmes it is more accurate to talk about an “end to Israel’s permanent military presence” rather than the end of occupation.
SETTLEMENTS
…When writing a story about settlements we can aim, where relevant, to include context to the effect that “all settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this”.
TERRORISTS
Note the BBC producer guidelines which state: “We must report acts of terror quickly, accurately, fully and responsibly. We should not adopt other people’s language as our own. Our credibility is undermined by the careless use of words which carry emotional or value judgments. The word “terrorist” itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding. We should try to avoid the term, without attribution. It is also usually inappropriate to use words like “liberate”, “court martial” or “execute” in the absence of a clear judicial process. We should let other people characterize while we report the facts as we know them. We should convey to our audience the full consequences of the act by describing what happened. We should use words which specifically describe the perpetrator such as “bomber”, “attacker”, “gunmen”, “kidnapper”, “insurgent” or “militant.”"
Our responsibility is to remain impartial and report in ways that enable our audiences to make their own assessments about who is doing what to whom.
See the list of all the terms here.
Hopefully this list will make the BBC less biased against Israel. I doubt it!
