The BBC is “systematically biased” against Palestinians in its Gaza war coverage, according to a new report by the New Centre for Media Monitoring.
The comprehensive report analysed over 35,000 pieces of BBC content, revealing a systemic pattern; the minimisation of Palestinian suffering and perspectives and the amplification of Israeli narratives, victimisation and emotive stories.
It said the data shows that the “BBC has consistently failed to report Israel’s war on Gaza with required impartiality.”
The analysis found that Palestinian deaths received considerably less coverage than Israeli deaths, with Israeli casualties being described using more emotionally charged language.
“This powerful research by the Centre for Media Monitoring exposes how, during Israel’s war on Gaza, the BBC consistently prioritised Israeli pain and perspective – at the expense of Palestinian lives and voices,” said Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, former co-chair of the Conservative Party.
“This is no cherry-picked critique. It is a comprehensive, evidence-based indictment that cannot be ignored. If the BBC is to maintain any claim to impartiality, it must now engage seriously with these findings and the recommendations that follow.”
Key findings
The key findings included:
- Palestinian deaths treated as less newsworthy: Despite Gaza suffering 34x more casualties than Israel, BBC gave Israeli deaths 33 times more coverage per fatality and ran almost equal numbers of humanising victim profiles (279 Palestinians vs 201 Israelis).
- Systematic language bias favouring Israelis: BBC used emotive terms 4 times more for Israeli victims, applied ‘massacre’ 18x more to Israeli casualties, and used ‘murder’ 220 times for Israelis vs once for Palestinians.
- Suppression of genocide allegations: BBC presenters shut down genocide claims in over 100 documented instances whilst making zero mention of Israeli leaders’ genocidal statements, including Netanyahu’s biblical Amalek reference.
- Muffling Palestinian voices: The BBC interviewed significantly fewer Palestinians than Israelis (1,085 v 2,350) on TV and radio, while BBC presenters shared the Israeli perspective 11 times more frequently than the Palestinian perspective (2,340 v 217).
Alistair Campbell, co-presenter of the ‘Rest is Politics’ podcast said: “The Israelis and the right-wing media do a very good job of persuading people that the BBC is biased in favour of Palestinians. This report suggests otherwise…at the leadership level, there seems to be a bias not against Israel but in favour of its talking points and the defence of its actions.”
The study analysed 3,873 articles and 32,092 broadcast segments from 7 October 2023 to 6 October 2024, alongside a comparative analysis of 7,748 articles on the Ukraine conflict.
During the analysis period, 42,010 Palestinians and 1,246 Israelis were killed – a 34:1 ratio that provides crucial context for assessing the impartiality of the BBC’s coverage.
It also used extensive case studies extending into 2025.
“The BBC has a duty to reflect the full reality of this devastating war, including the lived experience of Palestinians. When language, framing, and editorial choices consistently favour one side, the public loses access to the truth. Our findings are based on evidence, not ideology — and we urge the BBC to reflect, engage, and reform,” said Rizwana Hamid, Director of the Centre for Media Monitoring
