Over 400 media figures urge BBC to remove board member over alleged Gaza bias
London: More than 400 media professionals, including 111 current BBC journalists, have signed an open letter calling for the removal of BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb, citing concerns about his alleged influence on the broadcaster’s coverage of Gaza.
Addressed to BBC Director-General Tim Davie and the BBC Board, the letter accuses Gibb, a former political advisor to ex-Prime Minister Theresa May, of compromising the BBC’s editorial independence due to his prior association with The Jewish Chronicle, a publication often criticised for its anti-Palestinian stance. Gibb served as a director at the paper until August 2024.
The signatories argue that Gibb’s position on the BBC Board and the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee is “untenable” given his role in the 2020 acquisition of The Jewish Chronicle. They allege his presence has contributed to a pattern of editorial decisions that marginalise Palestinian perspectives.
Central to the controversy is the BBC’s decision to shelve the documentary Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which Channel 4 later broadcast. The documentary includes accounts of detention, torture, and killings of medical workers in Gaza. The letter states, “We believe the refusal to broadcast the documentary Gaza: Medics Under Fire is just one in a long line of agenda-driven decisions.”
Among the signatories are public figures including actress Miriam Margolyes, filmmaker Mike Leigh, actor Charles Dance, and historian William Dalrymple. The letter alleges that the BBC has repeatedly failed to reflect the realities of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, citing a “gulf between BBC’s coverage and what our audiences can see is happening via multiple credible sources, including human rights organisations, UN staff, and journalists on the ground.”
A January 2025 analysis by Declassified UK is also referenced in the letter. The analysis criticised the BBC’s limited coverage of UK-Israel military and political ties, including arms transfers using British airspace, visits by Israeli military officials, and lobbying in Westminster.
Former BBC presenter and footballer Gary Lineker also weighed in, saying the BBC “should hold its head in shame” for not airing the Gaza documentary.
In response, a BBC spokesperson defended the organisation’s editorial process, stating, “Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process.” The BBC pointed to recent programmes including Life and Death in Gaza and Gaza 101 as evidence of its commitment to balanced reporting.
The Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) had also criticised the BBC in a 180-page report last month. The study, titled BBC on Gaza-Israel: One Story, Double Standards, analysed over 3,800 articles and 32,000 broadcast segments, concluding that the BBC systematically downplayed Palestinian suffering while giving disproportionate coverage to Israeli perspectives.
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K’taka HC declines stay on menstrual leave order, says issue of public importance
Bengaluru: The State Government has strongly defended its decision to grant one day of paid menstrual leave every month to women employees, telling the Karnataka High Court that the notification was issued in the larger interest of women and is legally sound. The Court, treating the matter as one of significant public importance, refused to stay the implementation of the order and adjourned the hearing to January 20.
The Labour Department’s November 20, 2025 notification was challenged by the Bangalore Hotels Association, Avirat Defence System, Facile Aerospace Technologies Ltd and Samos Technologies Ltd. Justice Jyoti Mulimani heard the petitions on Wednesday.
At the start of the hearing, the bench asked whether the State had filed its objections. Advocate General K. Shashikiran Shetty informed the Court that objections had been submitted and that copies would be provided to the petitioners.
Defending the notification, the Advocate General said the government had introduced a progressive measure aimed at women’s welfare, one that no other state in India had implemented so far. He told the Court that 72 objections were received and considered before finalising the notification. He argued that the government was empowered to frame such policy under Article 42 of the Constitution and noted that the Supreme Court and the Law Commission had earlier made recommendations in this direction.
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When the Court asked whether the notification applied to all sectors, the Advocate General replied in the affirmative. The bench observed that the matter required detailed hearing because of its wider public impact and decided to take it up in January. The Court added that petitioners may file their responses to the State’s objections before the next hearing.
Petitioners’ counsel B.K. Prashanth requested that the State be restrained from enforcing the order until the case is decided. The Advocate General responded that the government had already begun implementing the notification across all sectors.
Justice Mulimani noted that nothing would change between now and the next hearing and emphasised that the Court would consider all arguments thoroughly before issuing any direction. The bench then adjourned the matter to January 20 and asked petitioners to file any additional applications with copies to the State’s counsel.
