BBC defends its decision to not call Hamas militants ‘terrorists’

BBC defends its decision to not call Hamas militants 'terrorists': Foreign correspondent says using the word to describe someone 'means you're taking sides'

• The BBC's language has been criticised since the conflict broke out on Saturday

By Eirian Jane Prosser[1] and Paul Revoir Media Editor[2] and Rebecca English Royal Editor[3]

Published: 21:14, 11 October 2023 | Updated: 01:35, 12 October 2023

The BBC[4] last night defended its decision not to describe Hamas[5] militants as 'terrorists' in its coverage of the deadly attacks in Israel, despite receiving a huge backlash from politicians and those within the Jewish community.

The broadcaster's refusal continues despite King Charles condemning the 'barbaric acts of terrorism' while the Prince and Princess of Wales[6] spoke of their distress following 'Hamas's terrorist attack'.

Instead the BBC refers to Hamas as a 'militant' group and described the slaughter of civilians as a 'militant' attack.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis accused broadcasters of trying to 'wilfully mislead' by not using the word terrorist, saying: 'The murder of babies where they sleep is not the act of a "freedom fighter".'

Meanwhile Defence Secretary Grant Shapps[7] called on the coorporation to 'get the moral compass out' while Labour leader Keir Starmer[8] urged the broadcaster to 'explain' its reasoning.

The broadcaster justified its language use in the name of impartiality, adding its job is to explain 'precisely what is happening on the ground so audiences can make their own judgement'.

The decision has seen a number of BBC stars rally around their employer, including the corporation's veteran foreign correspondent John Simpson defended the coverage claiming 'calling someone a terrorist means you're taking sides'.

The BBC has defended its decision not to describe Hamas militants as 'terrorists' in its coverage of the deadly attacks in Israel

Veteran BBC foreign correspondent John Simpson defended the coverage claiming 'calling someone a terrorist means you're taking sides'

Last night Mr Simpson took to X, formerly known as Twitter , to defend his employers decision

Last night Mr Simpson took to X, formerly known as Twitter[9], to defend his employers decision, claiming 'British politicians know full well' why it avoids using the word terrorist.

He wrote: 'British politicians know perfectly well why the BBC avoids the word 'terrorist', and over the years plenty of them have privately agreed with it.

'Calling someone a terrorist means you're taking sides and ceasing to treat the situation with due impartiality.

'The BBC's job is to place the facts before its audience and let them decide what they think, honestly and without ranting.

'That's why, in Britain and throughout the world, nearly half a billion people watch, listen to and read us. There's always someone who would like us to rant. Sorry, it's not what we do.'

Nick Robinson, a presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said on social media: 'I understand entirely why some want the word "terrorism" used.

It is, though, the long-standing practice of BBC, ITV and Sky to report others using that language rather than using it ourselves.'

BBC director of editorial policy David Jordan said not using the word terrorist was a 'very long-standing policy' which had 'stood the test of time'.

He added: 'We've called them massacres, we've called [them] murders, we've called them out for what things are and that doesn't in any way devalue the awfulness of what is going on.'

Houses are left in ruins in southern Israel after Hamas militants shot at and killed civilians in homes days earlier near the border with Gaza

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak blasted the BBC for refusing to call the Hamas terrorists before attending Finchley United Synagogue in central London for victims and hostages of Hamas attacks on Monday

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the broadcaster to 'explain' why it calls Hamas, who became classified as a terrorist group in the UK in 2021, a militant group

Hamas has been proscribed as a terrorist group in the UK since 2021.

Former BBC journalist Jon Sopel said the corporation's editorial guidelines were 'no longer fit for purpose'.

Condemning the BBC's language, Mr Shapps told LBC yesterday: 'I actually think it is verging on disgraceful, this idea that there is some sort of equivalence, and they'll always say, well there's two sides.

'They are not freedom fighters, they are not militants, they are pure and simple terrorists and it's remarkable to go to the BBC website and still see them talking about gunmen and militants and not calling them terrorists.'

Meanwhile, Britain's largest Jewish community body slammed the BBC, saying its refusal to call Hamas a terrorist organisation 'feels little short of obscene'.

The group said it had asked that the Government 'pushes for an urgent review of the BBC's guidelines', saying it is clear that Hamas 'should be described as what they are - terrorists'.

President of the group, Marie van der Zyl, wrote to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer with her concerns.

Ms Frazer said she had raised the issue with BBC director-general Tim Davie and made clear her view that these were 'acts of terror carried out by a terrorist organisation'.

Palestinian militants fire rockets towards Israel from Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip this evening

Danny Cohen, the former director of television at the BBC, expressed disbelief at his former employer's reluctance to label Hamas a terror group

Even the former director of television at the BBC, Danny Cohen, expressed disbelief at the organisation's reluctance to label Hamas as a terror group.

He said earlier this week: 'This is no time for the BBC or any other UK news organisation to call terrorism anything but what it is.

'Having worked for the BBC, I understand the delicate balancing act it aims to perform.

I also know that the BBC employs a great number of dedicated journalists, committed to their profession and their belief in the important role it plays in a healthy democracy.

'This is why it makes it even harder to understand why BBC News is unable to see something for what it is - and call it what it is, without prevarication, without qualification.

'Words matter.

The BBC, and other UK news organisations, are failing the public when they fail to accurately report terrorism and war crimes for what they are.'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared in relation to the broadcaster's choice of language in its news programmes: 'This is not a time for equivocation, we should call it out for what it is.'

Tonight the spokesperson for the BBC said: 'We always take our use of language very seriously.

'Anyone watching or listening to our coverage will hear the word 'terrorist' used many times - we attribute it to those who are using it, for example, the UK Government.

'This is an approach that has been used for decades, and is in line with that of other broadcasters.

'The BBC is an editorially independent broadcaster whose job is to explain precisely what is happening 'on the ground' so our audiences can make their own judgement.'

References

1. ^ Eirian Jane Prosser (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Paul Revoir Media Editor (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ Rebecca English Royal Editor (www.dailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ BBC (www.dailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ Hamas (www.dailymail.co.uk)
6. ^ Princess of Wales (www.dailymail.co.uk)
7. ^ Grant Shapps (www.dailymail.co.uk)
8. ^ Keir Starmer (www.dailymail.co.uk)
9. ^ Twitter (www.dailymail.co.uk)