EXCLUSIVE: BBC boss Tim Davie has urged staff not to fight with loved ones if they encounter hostility about the British broadcaster’s coverage of the war in Gaza.
Speaking during an “ask me anything” all-staff meeting earlier this month, Davie sympathized with colleagues over the fraught nature of covering the Israel-Hamas conflict, per audio from the event heard by Deadline. He admitted that it was “as tough as it gets” in terms of making the correct editorial decisions and executing impartiality.
In a written question seen by Deadline, one staffer said: “I’m often confronted about the BBC being a propaganda machine and biased about Gaza. This happens a few times a week. I love my job, but sometimes I can’t tell anyone I work here for fear of arguments. What can be done about this?”
Davie told staff: “There’s no pressure on anyone to fight for the BBC in that context. They’ve got to look after themselves, protect their family relationships, protect their friendships. That is sacrosanct to me.”
He added that if employees do decide to address misgivings, they could start with “calmly explaining what the BBC is and what we’re doing.” He added that there is data showing that the corporation has trust from audiences.
Davie continued: “We’re all advocates for the BBC. We’re all ambassadors for the BBC. But let’s be reasonable, and let’s just use common sense about this. Some issues are very tough, and I know it’s been incredibly difficult for some people within communities who do feel that the coverage is not representative, in their view, of what is going on.”
BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, who also spoke during the staff event, doubled down on her previously expressed view that critics of the British broadcaster’s Gaza coverage are stuck in social media bubbles.
“A lot of people are reading a lot of content on social media feeds, which are algorithmically driven, and they’re giving them more of the content that the algorithm knows they like and want. So it’s going to reinforce the rabbit hole of perspective,” she explained.
“So when people come out of that quite polarized environment in their media feeds, and meet BBC content, which is striving to be impartial, they can feel that it is an attack on their values … because they’re no longer habituated to reading truly impartial content and news.”
The comments come after Deadline revealed that staff used the internal event to openly revolt about Gaza coverage. Four sources said that questions and statements about the crisis were among the most “upvoted” by employees, increasing their chances of being put to Davie.
The messages, some of which accused the BBC’s output of being favorable towards Israel, were leaked amid internal anger about the corporation scrapping the documentary, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack.
One employee wrote: “I am extremely concerned about the damage being done to the BBC’s reputation in reaction to its coverage of events in Palestine. I understand and appreciate the aims of our editorial guidelines, to continuously strive for balance and impartiality, but I feel we are failing.
“I find myself unable to defend a great deal of the reporting I see and that is an uncomfortable and depressing position to be in while watching a genocide unfold. I know I am not alone in feeling this way and believe my question will resonate with colleagues across the corporation.”
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