Fiona Crack, director of the BBC World Service, has defended BBC Arabic as a unique outlet in the region for covering the 'Israeli perspective', amid ongoing criticism of the service. In an interview with the Guardian, Crack acknowledged past mistakes but warned that without BBC Arabic, the Arab world would lose one of the few independent and impartial media sources reaching nearly 40 million people weekly.
Crack highlighted the service's role during the Gaza war, stating that it provided coverage of Israeli perspectives and internal political debates that would otherwise be absent from Arab-language media. She noted that BBC Arabic faces attacks in its markets for being perceived as pro-Israeli, contrasting with Gulf state-owned broadcasters that often ignore such stories.
The BBC Arabic service has faced sustained criticism in the UK over its selection of coverage and guests, including individuals who had expressed antisemitic views online. A memo from former external adviser Michael Prescott to the BBC's board last year highlighted these issues, referencing a contributor who had called for Jews to be burned and another who described Jews as 'devils'. The BBC has apologised and implemented stricter contributor checks.
Crack emphasised that many of the criticisms were already being addressed, including through a new editorial quality executive who is an Arabic speaker. She urged caution in attacking public service media, noting that BBC Arabic operates in a region where many countries rank low in media freedom, such as Syria (177th), Afghanistan (175th), and Egypt (170th) on the Reporters Without Borders index.
