Lebanese journalist Nada Abdel Samad worked for the BBC for 27 years (social media)

Lebanese journalist Nada Abdel Samad announced the filing of a lawsuit against the BBC, on charges of "professional abuse against her and damage to her reputation after allowing a British newspaper to publish her picture and name."

Nada said, in a post on the "X" platform on Saturday evening, "I thank everyone who stood in solidarity with me after the many news that dealt with my relationship with the BBC, where I worked for 27 years."

"I will publish the full facts but now I can say that I have alleged (sued) the BBC for professional abuse against me and damage to my reputation and lack of interest in protecting me by allowing the telegraph to publish my photo and name," she said, without elaborating.

I thank everyone who stood in solidarity with me after the many news that dealt with my relationship with the #BBC in which I worked for 27 years. I will publish the full facts, but now I can say that I was accused on the BBC of professional abuse against me and the damage to my reputation and lack of interest in protecting me by allowing the telegraph to publish my picture and name.

— Nada Abdelsamad (@BBCNadaSamad) November 25, 2023

This came after Nada refused to appear for the media network's internal investigation of six journalists, whom she had previously accused of "violating her editorial guidelines".

On 20 October, Nada Abdel Samad wrote a post on the X platform in which she said, "I apologize in advance to anyone who tries to contact me to clarify my position on the news covered by many media and communication outlets regarding my relationship with the BBC, where I have been working continuously for 27 years. I will be with you soon."

"I apologize in advance to anyone who tries to contact me to clarify my position on the news that has been covered by many media outlets and communication about my relationship with the BBC, where I have been working continuously for 27 years. I will be with you soon."

— Nada Abdelsamad (@BBCNadaSamad) October 20, 2023

The BBC announced on October 17 that it was investigating 6 of its Arab journalists after they praised on the "X" platform the Al-Aqsa flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation, while retracting the description of supporters of the Palestinian cause as supporters of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

British newspapers reported on October 15 that the BBC suspended seven reporters from its Arabic branch after they published pro-Hamas stories or liked posts praising them.

Some journalists described the seventh of October as "the morning of hope," while others mocked Israel, "which seemed confused by the attacks of the Palestinian resistance," according to the newspapers.

Despite the removal of these posts, the BBC has vowed to take disciplinary action against the journalists concerned if they are found to have violated our "editorial guidelines" and those related to "social media".

A spokesman for the British Media Network said: "We are urgently investigating this matter. "We take allegations of violations of our editorial guidelines and social media very seriously and, if we find violations, we will act, including disciplinary action."

According to the Telegraph, "the network's Middle East Reporting and Analysis Accuracy Committee accused seven reporters of violating the guidelines."

The British newspaper named a group of BBC staff, led by Nada Abdel Samad, who works as a Beirut-based programme editor.

End of internal investigation

On the other hand, the internal investigation of the arrested journalists ended with the network announcing on Saturday that "no disciplinary action will be taken against them," according to British newspapers.

In an email, the BBC told journalists that although their tweets violated the authority's social media policy, no disciplinary action would be taken against them.

The administration advised five journalists to undergo training on social media and neutrality policies, while Nada refused to appear for investigation and decided to sue the network.

Broad solidarity

A number of media professionals and public figures expressed their solidarity with Nada Abdel Samad, pointing out that she has a busy career that extends for nearly 3 decades with the British Foundation.

All solidarity with you is a call, and all condemnation of what happened to you https://t.co/xuGWYr2OvB

— Dima Dima Sadek (@DimaSadek) November 25, 2023

All support and love for the great @BBCNadaSamad https://t.co/Cj43iB3ZSr

— Makram Rabah (@makramrabah) November 25, 2023

Journalist Diana Makled said on her X account, "Gaza has revealed the true meaning of hypocrisy and double standards. "What Nada Abdel Samad faced with the BBC after 27 years of work is a revealing case."

Gaza have exposed the real meaning of hypocrisy and double standards. What Nada Abdelsamad have experienced with BBC after 27 years of working there is a revealing case. https://t.co/LFUjsViLPL

— Diana Moukalled (@dianamoukalled) November 26, 2023

Alia Ibrahim commented, "After 27 years of service, Nada (BBC) has all our support, for the journalist before the friend, as she has always been an inspiration and a role model. "The BBC's double standards are a disgrace to an institution that we thought was setting standards."

After 27 years of service @BBCNadaSamad is suing the @BBC. All the support to the journalist who before becoming a friend, was an inspiration and a role model. The double standards of the bbc are a shame for an organisation that we believed set the standards. https://t.co/Yuie5KbtiR

— aliaIbrahim Alia Ibrahim (@aliaibrahim74) November 25, 2023

Lebanese journalist Nada Abdel Samad claims on BBC for professional abuse and harming her after suspending her work along with five other journalists in the Arab service, following the Al-Aqsa flood operation https://t.co/tr5XzhOY9N

— layal h (Layal Haddad) #CeasefireNOW (@layalhaddad) November 25, 2023

BBC. Lost neutrality

Since the outbreak of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on 7 October, the BBC has been accused of taking pro-Israel and anti-Gaza positions.

On November 19, the station broadcast the BAFTA Awards ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, live, and winners while receiving their awards on the festival stage expressed solidarity with Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire.

Followers were surprised when the BBC modified the content of the ceremony on its online platform iPlayer, where clips that showed solidarity with Gaza were deleted, while no part of the other awards were modified or deleted.

British filmmaker Fennell Pretzel held up a banner while standing on the awards podium, which read: "I refuse to be silent, cease fire now."

BBC deletes photos and videos of calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, which appeared during the Scottish BAFTA Awards

The BBC has removed several calls for a ceasefire in Gaza from the Scottish BAFTA Awards – including the presentation of the entire award.

If... pic.twitter.com/e13TYzKexq

— Khalil Hanoun (@khalilhanoun) November 22, 2023

Pretzel took to the podium to join Elide Monroe, director of Best Animation Short, winner of Best Animation Short, who said: "We want to use this opportunity tonight to say that we stand in solidarity with everyone in Palestine."

Munro called on festival participants to put pressure on British institutions and government, and to use their voices as artists and filmmakers for this.

At the time, the BBC acknowledged the deletion, saying it was intended to reduce the duration to 90 minutes in line with the duration of the program, instead of 135 in the live broadcast.

The BBC spokesperson justified that this was done with the aim of preserving as much content as possible representing the event, and that the interruption was made from the entire broadcast, stressing that some of the adjustments that were made were in line with the channel's editorial guidelines on neutrality.

On Friday, journalists at the BBC accused their organization of bias towards Israel in its coverage of the war on the Gaza Strip, and desperate to humanize Israeli victims, while ignoring the suffering of Palestinian victims, and omitting the historical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

According to a letter sent by 8 journalists working for the "BBC" to "Al Jazeera" English, that the BBC adopts double standards in dealing with the victims of the Israeli aggression on the Palestinians and the victims of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

In their letter, the journalists stressed "the lack of critical coverage when dealing with Israeli allegations" regarding the war on Gaza, and argued that the commission failed to report events professionally, and "did not help public opinion understand the ongoing human rights violations in Gaza."

They also stressed that phrases such as "massacre" and "atrocities" are used on BBC platforms and channels only when talking in their coverage of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and not Israel.

This "portrays the movement as the only party that incites and perpetrates violence in the region," they said, adding that this is in line with the BBC's policy of covering the Israeli war on Gaza.

Source : Al Jazeera + British Press + Social Media