Tue. Jan 21st, 2025
alert-–-bbc-blasted-after-hiring-new-boss-from-canada-who-told-journalists-not-to-call-hamas-‘terrorists’Alert – BBC blasted after hiring new boss from Canada who told journalists not to call Hamas ‘terrorists’

The BBC has sparked criticism for hiring a new boss at its world news operation who previously instructed journalists in Canada not to call Hamas ‘terrorists’.

George Achi has recently been announced as Head of Editorial Quality and Compliance at the BBC World Service.

He is moving to the BBC from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) where he is director of journalistic standards.

Campaigners have said the appointment shows the BBC is prepared to ‘double down’ on its ‘bewildering’ decision not to refer to the Palestinian group as terrorists.

During his time at Canada’s public broadcaster, leaked emails showed Mr Achi instructing staff not to refer to Hamas as terrorists, in the wake of the October 7th attacks.

This was despite the fact that Canada had categorised the Palestinian group as a ‘terrorist entity’ many years earlier.

According to the leaked emails, released in October 2023, shortly after the attacks took place, Mr Achi had told staff: ‘Do not refer to militants, soldiers, or anyone else as ‘terrorists’.’

He added: ‘The notion of terrorism remains heavily politicised and is part of the story. Even when quoting/clipping a government or a source referring to fighters as ‘terrorists’, we should add context to ensure the audience understands this is opinion, not fact.’

The BBC has previously faced huge criticism over its own refusal to call Hamas fighters ‘terrorists’. This provoked a huge backlash from Jewish groups in the wake of the October 7th attacks.

Mr Achi’s appointment has sparked criticism by the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

It said: ‘At this point, it seems that the BBC is completely unashamed of its editorial bias.

‘It is bewildering that, despite repeated calls for the broadcaster to call Hamas what it is – an antisemitic, genocidal terror group – the corporation has decided to double down and appoint someone who appears to have actively directed journalists not to describe terrorists in legally accurate terms.’

Broadcaster and journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti, who is also a campaigner against antisemitism, said: ‘[The BBC’s] editorial policy matches his at CBC.

‘Of course the Palestinians who invaded Israel, and who have launched rockets at Israel for years, are terrorists. Everyone knows that.’

A statement on the BBC Press Office LinkedIn account said: ‘We’re thrilled to welcome George Achi to the BBC as Head of Editorial Quality and Compliance for World Service.

‘Currently Director of Journalistic Standards at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), George is due to start the role later this year.

‘George brings a wealth of experience to the role, having played a key role in establishing national and international editorial policy, regulating journalistic ethics and language guidelines, and upholding public accountability while at CBC.’

Last year the BBC provoked anger by rejecting calls to describe organisations like Hamas as terrorists, saying it will only use this term when it is attributed to others.

A proposed new version of its editorial guidelines said the word ‘terrorist’ should only be used when ‘quoting or citing its use by others’, a continuation of the current rules.

This is despite the huge row caused in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre by Hamas in Israel, where the corporation refused to call the attackers terrorists.

The controversy saw the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, criticise the BBC for its ‘atrocious’ refusal to brand Hamas as a terrorist group.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis had said that broadcasters were trying to ‘wilfully mislead’ by not using the word terrorist.

The BBC declined to comment about the criticism of Mr Achi’s appointment.

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