BBC to investigate social media use of its staff after reporter 'endorsed' anti-Israel message
The BBC will investigate its use of social media after its reporter "endorsed" messages accusing Israel of being a "genocidal" regime and supporting the right of Palestinians to protest Israeli occupation.
The BBC has said it treats breaches of its social media guidelines, which require absolute impartiality from its staff, very seriously, and that it will "investigate each case in detail."
The move comes after BBC Arabic reporter Soha Ibrahim "liked" several messages on the X social network, formerly Twitter, including a message released after the October 7 Al-Aqsa Storm Operation that depicted members of The Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas and "freedom fighters."
The BBC reporter also endorsed (liked) a video that said Israel was aiming to carry out "murder", as well as several messages that said Israel was carrying out "genocide".
Among the messages supported by the BBC reporter is that of the former leader of the opposition Labor party, Jeremy Corbyn, defending the pro-Palestinian protests taking place across the UK, where the politician said, "protests against mass killings of civilians not a threat to democracy."
The London-based journalist has also supported a message that criticized his own employer, the BBC, for not properly covering Israel's aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this month, the Center for Media Monitoring (CFMM) said in a report titled "Media Bias Gaza 2023-24" that the British media had failed to reflect the war in Gaza fairly.
