Ofcom: BBC made significant editorial failings over antisemitism bus attack report

The BBC committed "significant editorial failings" successful its reporting of an antisemitic onslaught connected Jewish students, Ofcom has found.

The media watchdog observed that the BBC failed to travel its editorial guidelines connected owed impartiality and owed accuracy successful a 2022 online article.

A abstracted BBC London quality broadcast connected the aforesaid communicative did not breach owed impartiality oregon accuracy rules.

However, Ofcom said the BBC had made a superior editorial misjudgement.

The incidental occurred connected 29 November 2021, erstwhile a radical of Jewish students were subjected to an antisemitic onslaught portion travelling connected a privately-hired autobus connected Oxford Street, London, wherever they had been celebrating the festival of Hanukkah.

In its coverage, the BBC reported that an anti-Muslim slur had been heard from wrong the bus, but pursuing BBC sum connected 2 December, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Chief Rabbi were among a important fig of groups and individuals who complained to the broadcaster astir the accuracy and impartiality of its reporting.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said: "Ofcom's ruling connected the BBC's behaviour successful narration to the antisemitic Oxford Street onslaught has made it wide that 'the BBC failed to observe its editorial guidelines connected owed impartiality and owed accuracy', and has described the corporation's 'serious editorial misjudgement' successful this matter.

"This ruling, successful effect to the board's written complaint, validates our important interest implicit the BBC's actions connected this issue. We volition present see whether to instrumentality this contented to a judicial review."

Ofcom said successful a statement: "Our probe uncovered important editorial failings successful the BBC's reporting of an antisemitic onslaught connected Jewish students travelling connected committee a autobus successful London.

"The BBC's reports claimed that an audio signaling made during the incidental included anti-Muslim slurs - which it aboriginal changed to the singular 'slur' - which came from wrong the bus. Shortly afterwards, it received grounds which disputed this mentation of the audio."

Ofcom noted that the BBC received grounds to enactment an alternate mentation that the words it had heard were successful information a Hebrew phrase, meaning "Call someone, it's urgent".

Its connection continued: "The BBC failed to promptly admit that the audio was disputed and did not update its online quality nonfiction to bespeak this for astir 8 weeks. During this clip the BBC was alert that the article's contented was causing important distress and anxiousness to the victims of the onslaught and the wider Jewish community.

"This, successful our opinion, was a important nonaccomplishment to observe its editorial guidelines to study quality with owed accuracy and owed impartiality."

A BBC spokesperson said: "While Ofcom has recovered that our reporting was not successful breach of the Broadcasting Code, the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled successful January this twelvemonth that much could person been done sooner to admit the differing views astir what could beryllium heard connected the signaling of the attack. The BBC apologised astatine the clip for not acting sooner to item that the contents of the signaling was contested."

Under the BBC's Charter and Agreement, acceptable by the government, the BBC is liable for the editorial standards of its online material.

Ofcom tin see and springiness an sentiment instead, including immoderate recommendations it considers due regarding online worldly but it cannot find the BBC successful breach of the broadcasting code.

Regarding the TV broadcast, Ofcom said that portion the study did not breach its rules, "the BBC made a superior editorial misjudgement by not reporting connected air, astatine immoderate point, that the assertion it had made astir anti-Muslim slurs was disputed, erstwhile caller grounds emerged".

The watchdog said the BBC's "failure to respond promptly and transparently created an content of defensiveness by the BBC among the Jewish community".

Ofcom said the BBC has "further to spell successful learning however to respond erstwhile its reporting is successful contention".

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "Almost a twelvemonth aft the BBC's abominable sum of an antisemitic incidental connected Oxford Street, Ofcom has seen what each spectator and scholar of the BBC's sum could but which the BBC itself refused to accept: its reportage added insult to the wounded already inflicted connected the victims and the Jewish community, and abysmally failed to conscionable the astir basal editorial standards.

"Ofcom's determination contiguous begins to undo that insult.

"Sadly, the BBC's stonewalling is precisely what British Jews person travel to expect from our nationalist broadcaster."