Is the BBC’s quest for balance actually distorting its coverage of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza? Index on Censorship Chief Executive John Kampfner thinks it might be:

‘Language, as any propagandist knows, is the most important tool. Hamas fighters are called “militants”. That, I am told, is a halfway house between “terrorist” and more sympathetic labels such as “guerrillas”. The Israeli army is often referred to by its formal title, the Israel Defence Forces. The bombardment of Gaza has regularly been described as “the Israeli operation”. Such language denudes coverage of impact.’

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