Complaint
A viewer complained a headline referred to children who had “died” as a result of Israeli and US missile strikes, arguing the language softened the impact of what had happened to “give cover for the war crimes of the US and Israel”. The ECU considered whether the programme met the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The programme said Iran had faced the most intense day of bombing so far in the war and reported the US Secretary of Defence had promised to bring “death, fire and fury” to the country, echoing the calls of President Trump. A report from a BBC correspondent then showed the impact of the attacks, with footage of a civilian car whose windows were shattered by an explosion as the occupants tried to escape. The programme also looked at an apartment building in which civilians had died, noting the target of the attack was not clear, and heard from Iranians describing what they had witnessed and were fleeing. The BBC correspondent went on to explain that civilians were paying a high price, with death coming from inside and outside the country. The ECU did not therefore agree viewers would have been in any doubt as to what was happening in Iran or misled by the language used to describe it.
Not Upheld
