BBC News

===Israeli–Palestinian conflict===
{{See also|Criticism of the BBC#Middle East and Israel|Balen Report}}
The BBC has faced accusations of holding both anti-[[Israel]] and anti-[[State of Palestine|Palestine]] bias.

Douglas Davis, the London correspondent of ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'', has described the BBC's coverage of the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]] as "a relentless, one-dimensional portrayal of Israel as a demonic, criminal state and Israelis as brutal oppressors [which] bears all the hallmarks of a concerted campaign of vilification that, wittingly or not, has the effect of delegitimising the Jewish state and pumping oxygen into a dark old European hatred that dared not speak its name for the past half-century.".<ref name=Davis130>Davis, Douglas. "Hatred in the air: the BBC, Israel and Antisemitism" in Iganski, Paul & Kosmin, Barry. (eds) ''A New Anti-Semitism? Debating Judeophobia in 21st century Britain''. Profile Books, 2003, p. 130.</ref> However two large independent studies, one conducted by Loughborough University and the other by Glasgow University's Media Group concluded that Israeli perspectives are given greater coverage.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The BBC's reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict |last1=Downey |first1=John |last2=Deacon |first2=David |last3=Golding |first3=Peter |last4=Oldfield |first4=B |last5=Wring |first5=Dominic |year=2006|hdl = 2134/3158}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3827207.stm |title=Palestine issue confuses Britons |work=BBC News |first=James |last=Read |date=22 June 2004 |access-date=27 September 2010 |archive-date=23 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123001938/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3827207.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Critics of the BBC argue that the Balen Report proves systematic bias against Israel in headline news programming. The ''[[Daily Mail]]'' and ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' criticised the BBC for spending hundreds of thousands of British tax payers' pounds from preventing the report being released to the public.<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2398870.ece BBC fights to suppress internal report into allegations of bias against Israel] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013035628/http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2398870.ece |date=13 October 2008}} by Andy McSmith (''The Independent'') 28 March 2007.</ref><ref>T''Telegraph'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20061018094538/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/15/nbeeb15.xml BBC mounts court fight to keep 'critical' report secret], 15 October 2006.</ref>

[[Jeremy Bowen]], the Middle East Editor for BBC world news, was singled out specifically for bias by the [[BBC Trust]] which concluded that he violated "BBC guidelines on accuracy and impartiality."<ref name=ind160409>''[[The Independent]]'', 16 April 2009, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090418210846/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bowen-breached-rules-on-impartiality-1669278.html Bowen 'breached rules on impartiality'].</ref>

An independent panel appointed by the [[BBC Trust]] was set up in 2006 to review the impartiality of the BBC's coverage of the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbcgovernorsarchive.co.uk/docs/reviews/panel_report_final.pdf |title=Impartiality Review: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict |publisher=BBC Governors |access-date=14 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614000035/http://www.bbcgovernorsarchive.co.uk/docs/reviews/panel_report_final.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2007 |url-status = dead}}</ref> The panel's assessment was that "apart from individual lapses, there was little to suggest deliberate or systematic bias." While noting a "commitment to be fair accurate and impartial" and praising much of the BBC's coverage the independent panel concluded "that BBC output does not consistently give a full and fair account of the conflict. In some ways the picture is incomplete and, in that sense, misleading." It notes that, "the failure to convey adequately the disparity in the Israeli and Palestinian experience, [reflects] the fact that one side is in control and the other lives under occupation".

Writing in the ''Financial Times'', [[Philip Stephens (journalist)|Philip Stephens]], one of the panellists, later accused the BBC's director-general, Mark Thompson, of misrepresenting the panel's conclusions. He further opined "My sense is that BBC news reporting has also lost a once iron-clad commitment to objectivity and a necessary respect for the democratic process. If I am right, the BBC, too, is lost".<ref>Philip Stephens: BBC is losing public service plot, ''Financial Times'', 20 June 2006.</ref> Mark Thompson published a rebuttal in the FT the next day.<ref>The BBC's success story has a public service plot, Mark Thompson, ''Financial Times'', 21 June 2006.</ref>

The description by one BBC correspondent reporting on the funeral of [[Yassir Arafat]] that she had been left with tears in her eyes led to other questions of impartiality, particularly from Martin Walker<ref name=Walker>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-2174641,00.html |title=The BBC pro-Israeli? Is the Pope Jewish?-Comment-Columnists-Guest contributors |work=The Times |location=London |access-date=11 April 2007 |date=11 May 2006 |first=Martin |last=Walker |archive-date=1 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001075902/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-2174641,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> in a guest opinion piece in ''[[The Times]]'', who picked out the apparent case of Fayad Abu Shamala, the [[BBC Arabic]] Service correspondent, who told a [[Hamas]] rally on 6 May 2001, that journalists in Gaza were "waging the campaign shoulder to shoulder together with the Palestinian people."<ref name=Walker/>

Walker argues that the independent inquiry was flawed for two reasons. Firstly, because the time period over which it was conducted (August 2005 to January 2006) surrounded the Israeli withdrawal from [[Gaza City|Gaza]] and [[Ariel Sharon]]'s stroke, which produced more positive coverage than usual. Furthermore, he wrote, the inquiry only looked at the BBC's domestic coverage, and excluded output on the [[BBC World Service]] and BBC World.<ref name=Walker/>

[[Tom Gross]] accused the BBC of glorifying [[List of Hamas suicide attacks|Hamas suicide bombers]], and condemned its policy of inviting guests such as [[Jenny Tonge]] and [[Tom Paulin]] who have compared Israeli soldiers to [[Nazis]]. Writing for the BBC, Paulin said [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli soldiers]] should be "shot dead" like [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s S.S, and said he could "understand how suicide bombers feel."{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} According to Gross, Paulin and Tonge continue to be invited as regular guests, and they are among the most frequent contributors to their most widely screened arts programme.<ref>[http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/gross200406181018.asp Tom Gross on BBC] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628025507/http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/gross200406181018.asp |date=28 June 2010 }} National Review Online.</ref>

The BBC also faced criticism for not airing a [[Disasters Emergency Committee]] aid appeal for Palestinians who suffered in Gaza during 22-day war there between late 2008 and early 2009. Most other major UK broadcasters did air this appeal, but rival Sky News did not.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

British journalist [[Julie Burchill]] has accused BBC of creating a "climate of fear" for [[British Jews]] over its "excessive coverage" of Israel compared to other nations.<ref>{{cite web |last=Burchill |first=Julie |url=http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=178724 |title=How the British media get their kicks |publisher=Jpost.com |date=18 June 2010 |access-date=5 July 2012 |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024041913/http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=178724 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In light of the [[2023 Israel–Hamas war]], the BBC suspended seven Arab journalists over allegations of expressing support for Hamas via social media.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bbc-urgently-investigating-group-arab-173746683.html |title=BBC Suspends, Investigates 7 Arab Journalists over Hamas Support |date=15 October 2023 |access-date=22 October 2023 |archive-date=24 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124132822/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bbc-urgently-investigating-group-arab-173746683.html |url-status=live }}</ref>