Overview
- A 19-page memo by former BBC adviser Michael Prescott alleges BBC Arabic minimized Israeli suffering, amplified unverified Hamas claims and made repeated factual errors.
- The memo says contributors with antisemitic statements appeared hundreds of times on the channel; the BBC has acknowledged some contributors should not have been used and says processes have been improved.
- Minutes reported by Deadline show BBC News chiefs had already overhauled BBC Arabic’s Press Review, appointed a senior quality lead and reworked accountability across World Service operations.
- Government and parliamentary scrutiny has escalated, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s department reviewing the memo, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee writing to chair Samir Shah, and Ofcom seeking assurances.
- MPs are examining a claim that Panorama selectively edited a Donald Trump speech, and the committee has invited Prescott to give evidence on November 12 as the BBC says it is considering the feedback and has taken action on errors.