BBC Director-General insists “We’re the most trusted brand in the world,” despite controversy surrounding Gaza documentary

This morning, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee heard from Dr Samir Shah, Chair of the BBC, and the Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie.

The hearing comes as the BBC has been engulfed in scandal, following its publication of the so-called documentary, ‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’.

Rupa Huq, Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, appeared to doubt the BBC’s decision to remove the documentary and remarked: “There might be a danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

Dame Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP for Gosport and Chair of the Committee, addressed Dr Shah regarding Ofcom’s announcement that it may intervene in the BBC’s investigation, remarking that “trust matters” and asked: “Can the BBC mark their own homework?”

She added: “A film like this has huge value but we have to be able to trust what we are seeing.”

Dr Samir Shah responded: “We have literally marked our own homework,” and noted that the BBC’s system of doing an investigation “is not in itself a bad thing” but admitted that “Ofcom’s position is right.” He also said: “We will get to the bottom of this and take appropriate actions.”

James Frith, Labour MP for Bury North, asked: “Will the scope of your inquiry confirm if the money paid for the documentary ended up with Hamas?” Mr Davie responded: “Yes, of course.” Mr Frith noted: “It’s fair to assume that if the family of a senior Hamas leader is paid, that that money goes into the orbit of Hamas.” Mr Davie insisted: “I’ve told you what I know.”

Damian Hinds, Conservative MP for East Hampshire, noted: “Given that Hamas are in administration in Gaza, presumably things that happen there have their say-so… therefore there must have been a whole series of questions. The question really is: Did you have questions that were unanswered or did you have questions that were answered incorrectly by the production company?” He continued, “Surely on the precautionary principle, until you had full comfort on those types of questions, the thing should not have been aired in the first place.”

Dr Shah admitted, “This is a really, really bad moment,” and agreed that the “mechanics of the filmmaking itself” needed to be investigated. He said that “There’s a dagger to the heart of the BBC’s claim to be impartial and to be trustworthy.”

He added: “We need to restore trust in the BBC.”

Paul Waugh, Labour MP for Rochdale, noted: “Surely it’s possible to edit this film so you remove the narrator – in other words, the point of contention – and you still allow the children’s voices to be heard by everyone, then the licence fee payer can see for themselves what the message is.”

Mr Davie said that although “there was absolutely legitimate journalism to be done here…We need to do the work and understand the questions and then make that decision.”

He continued: “This was a serious failing, but we have trust numbers that we’re very proud of. We’re the most trusted brand in the world.”

Ms Huq asked if the BBC would do a documentary using IDF bodycam footage, citing a similar documentary by Al Jazeera, which she said she hadn’t seen.

Mr Davie responded: “There’s not an area of scope we wouldn’t make a documentary. It’s a question of editorial controls.”

He added: “We report without fear or favour and we want to get to the truth.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “As expected, Tim Davie and Dr Samir Shah delivered the expected answers to the Committee. But no amount of spin can cover for either the scandal of this so-called documentary and the wider problem of bias at the BBC, or the outrageousness of the BBC marking its own homework with an internal review instead of an independent investigation.

“No other broadcaster would be permitted this latitude, and no other regulated industry would allow this. It bears restating: licence fee funds went to the family member of a senior member of a proscribed terrorist organisation. How can it possibly be business as usual at the BBC? Outside scrutiny must be allowed into the BBC’s clique to see what has been done with the public’s money. The licence fee must be suspended pending an independent investigation.”