British student criticises BBC coverage of Gaza war

A UK student has gone viral after telling a BBC reporter during a live segment that the British broadcaster was complicit in the violence in Gaza, The New Arab reported on August 15th.

This follows criticism of the broadcaster for its perceived bias in its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict, including accusations that it has downplayed Palestinian suffering while amplifying Israeli narratives.

The Liverpool schoolboy was approached by the BBC when opening the results of his A-levels, a number of exams that determine which university students can attend, if any.

As he was about to reveal his grades live on TV, the student told the BBC reporter: “On that note, I just want to say Free Palestine, end the genocide and the BBC is complicit.”

“We’re here to talk about A-Level results…” the reporter said in response. But the student stood firm, by reiterating that “the BBC is complicit.” The BBC reporter subsequently ended the interview.

The student’s comments were applauded online from pro-Palestine supporters who commended him for voicing his thoughts. The BBC has been under intense scrutiny over its coverage of Israel’s assault on Gaza, with regular protests outside the BBC headquarters by pro-Palestine activists over the past two years over biased, Israel-centric coverage of the war in Gaza.

A study released by the Centre for Media Monitoring found that the BBC made 33 more mentions of Israelis killed than Palestinians in written content.

Over 61,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s conflict with the territory in October 2023 – most of the deaths have been of women and children. The casualties also include hundreds who have starved to death as a result of Israel’s siege.

The recent uptick in international awareness of Gaza’s suffering, shown by the growing list of countries that have condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and shown support to the idea of a Palestinian state, has added further pressure on media organisations to provide balanced and comprehensive reporting.

The New Arab, Maghrebi.org