Names marked with an asterisk* have been changed to protect identities.
Ten journalists who covered the war in Gaza for two of the world’s largest news networks, CNN and the BBC, revealed the inner workings of those outlets’ newsrooms beginning October 7, alleging pro-bias. Israeli media coverage, systematic double standards and frequent violations of journalistic principles.
In several cases, they accused senior newsroom officials of failing to hold Israeli officials accountable and of interfering in reporting aimed at downplaying Israeli atrocities. For example, at CNN, false Israeli propaganda was broadcast despite prior warnings from staff members.
Journalists spoke to Tel Aviv Tribune The listening posta weekly show dissecting media from around the world, for its documentary Failing Gaza: Behind the Lens of Western Media.
Adam*, a journalist at CNN, declared before October 7 that he had “his hand on his heart” as trusting the journalistic practices of the channel.
“But after October 7, the ease with which I saw articles appearing supporting the Israeli narrative really shook me,” he said in the film. “There were times when CNN was happy to try hard. But overall, the situation is unfortunately very clear. And that’s not entirely true.”
“An Embarrassing Moment” on CNN
In November, Nic Robertson, CNN International’s diplomatic editor, joined the Israeli military to visit the bombed-out al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza.
Once inside, military spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed to have found evidence that Hamas was using the hospital to hide Israeli captives.
Hagari showed Robertson a document written in Arabic on the wall, which he said was a list of Hamas members monitoring the captives.
“This is an on-call list. Each terrorist has his own team,” Hagari told Robertson.
Adam recalled the broadcast as “an embarrassing moment” for CNN.
“It was not a Hamas list at all,” he said. “It was a calendar, and the days of the week were written in Arabic. But the report released by Nic Robertson simply swallowed up Israel’s claims.”
To make matters worse, the Israeli claim had already been debunked by Arabic speakers on social media before the CNN footage was broadcast and, according to several CNN journalists and an internal WhatsApp chat seen by Tel Aviv Tribune, a Palestinian producer alerted her colleagues, including Robertson. , but was ignored. After the report aired on television, they said, another producer tried to get it corrected before it went online.
“A colleague saw the report and pointed it out to Nic and said, ‘Wait, people are saying that’s not accurate,’” Adam said. “And apparently Nic said, ‘Are you saying Hagari is lying to us?’
“There was a chance this would stop. But Nic was adamant and it came out. He is a very experienced correspondent. If you trust the Israeli government over your own colleagues, then you should at least get a slap on the wrist for your reporting covering the Israeli operation. »
No evidence has ever been provided of the detention of prisoners at al-Rantisi hospital.
Adam also said that there was a time when CNN journalists “couldn’t call airstrikes in Gaza airstrikes unless they had confirmation from the Israelis.”
“We wouldn’t do this anywhere else.” We would not tolerate it being necessary to ask, for example, the Russians whether they bombed a hospital in kyiv.”
Recently, when Gaza health officials announced that Israeli attacks had killed more than 40,000 people, CNN editor Mike McCarthy ordered his team to “contextualize and hold Hamas accountable.” , Adam said.
“This was reflected in the framing of the broadcasts,” he added.
Informing viewers of the grim milestone in August, CNN anchor Becky Anderson said on a news broadcast: “Gaza’s health ministry says more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7 that started the war,” and warned that CNN could not verify the toll. Leading experts believe this figure is probably underestimated.
‘No balance’ at the BBC
Sara*, a former BBC journalist, accused the British channel of using double standards in its interviews with guests.
She told Tel Aviv Tribune she no longer saw her future at the BBC, partly because of a “sort of reluctance on the part of the executive” to address concerns about editorial bias.
In the days after October 7, the BBC set up an internal group chat in which producers could select potential interviewees based on their online footprint.
Tel Aviv Tribune obtained messages from this chat.
“The vast majority were guests from the Palestinian side who were examined,” she said. “Palestinians have been reported for using the word Zionist, which is not necessarily something to report.”
She said that “from time to time” Israeli guests were screened.
“But there was no balance to what was happening. The Israeli spokespeople we had with us were given complete freedom to say whatever they wanted with very little hesitation,” she said.
For example, Israeli politician Idan Roll told BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri on October 17 that “babies were set on fire” and “babies were shot in the head” during the Hamas incursion into southern Israel, claims that Israel has not proven and that Hamas rejects.
Moshiri did not dispute or elaborate on this assertion.
Over the past year, experts and senior journalists have increasingly accused mainstream Western media outlets of maintaining a pro-Israeli bias while dehumanizing Palestinians and downplaying their suffering.
A small number of journalists from the New York Times and the BBC have publicly resigned, citing conscience. Others tried to change things from within with internal campaigns and meetings.
“This is a moment in history where we don’t often see genocide being carried out as it’s happening,” said Craig Mokhiber, a U.N. human rights official who resigned last year due to the organization’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. Tel Aviv Tribune.
“In a situation where Western governments like the US, UK and others have been complicit, Western media have in fact become part of the mechanism of genocide. That’s what’s different. That’s what’s scary.
The BBC and CNN have denied allegations of bias.
