Post by Teddy Bear on Nov 10, 2014 20:11:35 GMT
When you read the following story you will no doubt ask yourself what was the purpose for the BBC to broadcast this interview.
Not just broadcast it, but on a programme that is aimed at a younger audience.
Ofcom and the BBC Trust have since upheld that it breached guidelines, and the BBC have assured the public that members of staff are to be sent on “compliance workshops” to teach them their “obligations towards a youth audience”.
Does it not beggar belief that any broadcaster would think this kind of material might be inappropriate without the need for a 'compliance workshop', let alone to a younger and more impressionable audience?
Or do confused BBC staff, seeing the usual manner of reporting there, think this kind of material fits right in?
Not just broadcast it, but on a programme that is aimed at a younger audience.
Ofcom and the BBC Trust have since upheld that it breached guidelines, and the BBC have assured the public that members of staff are to be sent on “compliance workshops” to teach them their “obligations towards a youth audience”.
Does it not beggar belief that any broadcaster would think this kind of material might be inappropriate without the need for a 'compliance workshop', let alone to a younger and more impressionable audience?
Or do confused BBC staff, seeing the usual manner of reporting there, think this kind of material fits right in?
BBC Radio 1 breached Ofcom rules after ISIS jihadist compared 'quite fun' murder with playing Call of Duty
BBC Radio 1 breached Ofcom guidelines by broadcasting an interview with a jihadist who likened terrorism to a computer game
By Hannah Furness
BBC Radio 1 breached broadcasting guidelines by playing an interview with a jihadist describing terrorism as “quite fun” and just like Call of Duty, Ofcom has found.
The radio station, aimed at younger listeners, broadcast an interview with ISIS fighter Abu Sumayyah as part of the lunchtime Newsbeat, in which he likened a real-life terrorist spree to playing a computer game.
A listener complained to Ofcom, stating the interview had “glorified terrorism”, as both the broadcasting watchdog and the BBC Trust launched an investigation.
Both have now ruled the interview breached guidelines, being played out at an inappropriate time, without proper warning or challenge to Sumayyah.
It is the first time Ofcom have found the BBC breached guidelines in its ISIS coverage, despite other complaints about upsetting content.
The interviewee, a British extremist who went on to change his name from Kabir Ahmed, is now reported to have died while carrying out a suicide bombing in Iraq.
The broadcast, on June 14, 2014, was introduced to young listeners as: “We hear from a man who left England to fight for the radical ISIS group”.
It was followed by a clip of Sumayyah saying: “It’s actually quite fun, better than, how you would say what’s that game called, ‘Call of Duty’? It’s like that, but really, you know, 3D, you know. You can see everything’s happening in front of you, you know, it’s real, you know what I mean?”
He also spoke of the “total freedom” of living in North West Syria, where he claimed he could “walk around with a Kalashnikov if I want to, with a RPG4 , if I want to”.
“This idea of us wanting to go back and plot terror attacks in our own countries and so on and so forth, I think is absolute rubbish,” he told Newsbeat. “We’re having the good life here, you know?
“For me, I felt like I was in prison in that country [the UK]. You need, er, road tax, you need this, and you need that and blah, blah, blah. It’s just money-making schemes”.
Ofcom investigated a possible breach of the code under rules which state children must be protected from inappropriate material, and that anything which causes offence must be justified in context.
It found that, while there was a “strong public and news interest” in the item, it was “capable of causing a significant degree of offence” without preparing listeners properly.
It added the piece lacked comment explaining Sumayyah’s views did not represent a wider experience, with “insufficient steps” taken to mitigate the offence by challenging his views. It was not, Ofcom ruled, appropriately scheduled.
The BBC Trust, which also investigated the complaint, found the item breached its own internal guidelines on “harm and offence”, which state the corporation must protect children from “unsuitable content” including anything which “condones or glamorises violence, dangerous or seriously anti-social behaviour”.
It ruled Newsbeat did not challenge the views aired properly, or give enough context for younger listeners to understand.
The BBC said is “accepts the findings” of the report, with members of staff sent on “compliance workshops” to teach them their “obligations towards a youth audience”. It has also instigated "tighter editorial processes".
In its defence, the BBC had claimed it was not an “ISIS propaganda video” but an interview from freelance journalists, meaning presenters could not challenge Sumayyah’s views live.
A spokesman for the BBC said: “Newsbeat accepts the findings of the OFCOM and BBC Trust report - appropriate measures have already been introduced to prevent similar breaches in the future.”
BBC Radio 1 breached Ofcom guidelines by broadcasting an interview with a jihadist who likened terrorism to a computer game
By Hannah Furness
BBC Radio 1 breached broadcasting guidelines by playing an interview with a jihadist describing terrorism as “quite fun” and just like Call of Duty, Ofcom has found.
The radio station, aimed at younger listeners, broadcast an interview with ISIS fighter Abu Sumayyah as part of the lunchtime Newsbeat, in which he likened a real-life terrorist spree to playing a computer game.
A listener complained to Ofcom, stating the interview had “glorified terrorism”, as both the broadcasting watchdog and the BBC Trust launched an investigation.
Both have now ruled the interview breached guidelines, being played out at an inappropriate time, without proper warning or challenge to Sumayyah.
It is the first time Ofcom have found the BBC breached guidelines in its ISIS coverage, despite other complaints about upsetting content.
The interviewee, a British extremist who went on to change his name from Kabir Ahmed, is now reported to have died while carrying out a suicide bombing in Iraq.
The broadcast, on June 14, 2014, was introduced to young listeners as: “We hear from a man who left England to fight for the radical ISIS group”.
It was followed by a clip of Sumayyah saying: “It’s actually quite fun, better than, how you would say what’s that game called, ‘Call of Duty’? It’s like that, but really, you know, 3D, you know. You can see everything’s happening in front of you, you know, it’s real, you know what I mean?”
He also spoke of the “total freedom” of living in North West Syria, where he claimed he could “walk around with a Kalashnikov if I want to, with a RPG4 , if I want to”.
“This idea of us wanting to go back and plot terror attacks in our own countries and so on and so forth, I think is absolute rubbish,” he told Newsbeat. “We’re having the good life here, you know?
“For me, I felt like I was in prison in that country [the UK]. You need, er, road tax, you need this, and you need that and blah, blah, blah. It’s just money-making schemes”.
Ofcom investigated a possible breach of the code under rules which state children must be protected from inappropriate material, and that anything which causes offence must be justified in context.
It found that, while there was a “strong public and news interest” in the item, it was “capable of causing a significant degree of offence” without preparing listeners properly.
It added the piece lacked comment explaining Sumayyah’s views did not represent a wider experience, with “insufficient steps” taken to mitigate the offence by challenging his views. It was not, Ofcom ruled, appropriately scheduled.
The BBC Trust, which also investigated the complaint, found the item breached its own internal guidelines on “harm and offence”, which state the corporation must protect children from “unsuitable content” including anything which “condones or glamorises violence, dangerous or seriously anti-social behaviour”.
It ruled Newsbeat did not challenge the views aired properly, or give enough context for younger listeners to understand.
The BBC said is “accepts the findings” of the report, with members of staff sent on “compliance workshops” to teach them their “obligations towards a youth audience”. It has also instigated "tighter editorial processes".
In its defence, the BBC had claimed it was not an “ISIS propaganda video” but an interview from freelance journalists, meaning presenters could not challenge Sumayyah’s views live.
A spokesman for the BBC said: “Newsbeat accepts the findings of the OFCOM and BBC Trust report - appropriate measures have already been introduced to prevent similar breaches in the future.”