BBC’s Arab Spring Coverage to Be Evaluated

BBC’s coverage of the Arab spring will be examined by the former UN director of communications Edward Mortimer in an independent review. The trust’s review will analyze the BBC’s coverage of events in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria and Yemen. Previous reviews have looked at the BBC’s coverage of business and science, and the review was launched by BBC Trust. Alison Hastings, BBC trustee and chair of the trust’s editorial standards committee, said, ”The events that came to be known as the Arab spring were extremely fast-moving and complex. That makes it a difficult story to cover.”

“Events in the Middle East during 2011 up-ended many widely accepted notions about the region,” said Mortimer, adding that ”such stories are always the most exciting for journalists to cover, but also present many challenges.” The review will include content analysis, audience research and interviews with interested parties.