The BBC does get some things right

I was in a session with some top professionals from a UK regulator recently when the government’s adviser on antisemitism asked them, rhetorically, who killed Jesus. His point, was that amongst some of the top paid and most senior professionals in our country, there was a distinct lack of knowledge about anti-Jewish racism (the answer is the Romans, in case you’re wondering). There was no value judgement and no bad faith in the query but it highlighted in one simple question a knowledge vacuum, and one that when it is filled, usually draws from a well of cultural stereotyping and racism.

Late last week, the BBC announced that it was to introduce compulsory training on anti-Jewish racism for staff across the Corporation. To its credit, key people at the Corporation realised that – as Lord Mann had pointed out to the regulator team – they needed to increase the baseline knowledge for staff across the organisation.

The package being offered by the BBC was not an off the shelf product, procured to protect reputation. It was not supplied by a random equalities provider without any input from Jewish figures but rather it was painstakingly developed by antisemitism experts together with Jewish and other BBC staff.

It is important to remember that for many, despite the Holocaust having been on the National Curriculum for decades, this will be the first time they have learned about antisemitism and may have been the first time they were reading about Zionism. The module had to be accessible enough to those people hearing about it for the first time, whilst developed enough to explain tropes, themes and concepts relating to how antisemitism shows up and is enacted. I am proud to say I think that is what we delivered, and the approach to how it was created, involving the BBC Jewish network, looping in the relevant safeguards and checks felt like a model process.

As I expected, the module has come in for criticism from those across the political spectrum.

It is difficult to take seriously public criticism from those that have, for example, provided a platform to Tommy Robinson (the same Robinson who wrote an essay explaining why Kanye West had a point) but so be it. That criticism glossed over the BBC offering the IHRA definition as the framework for understanding how anti-Jewish racism should be understood, miscalculated that the training would relate to broadcast as opposed to staff, which is does not, and suggested that lived experience wasn’t considered as part of the training, which it was – throughout.

In separate criticisms, the Community Security Trust (CST) and the Trust I lead, the Antisemitism Policy Trust, were described as “rightwing, explicitly pro-Israel Jewish organisations”, and CST as a “Mossad asset”. This is factually inaccurate on all counts – but I have come to expect it. It may be that in the eyes of the beholders that we are such. Perhaps it is because we are unafraid to call antisemitism out, and to educate about it when it falls within the frame of Zionism or anti-Israel activity. No form of antisemitism gets a pass, and to its credit the BBC – despite the difficulties we expected it might face in challenging modern antisemitism – knew this was something it needed to include.

What neither of the criticisms celebrate or properly acknowledge is what the training does cover. It gives some grounding in who Jews are – the size of the community and its diversity. It includes the fact that sometimes antisemitism comes dressed up as anti-Zionism. It shows how anti-Jewish racism punches up and down, portraying Jews as all powerful and grotesque, and it references the Holocaust and Jewish lived experience. Key themes, ideas and facts put together in an accessible format and something that fits the timing of a regular training module – its actually a significant feat when you think about it, and something I’d challenge any of the critics to have done successfully.

I know that as its charter comes up for renewal, there will be plenty of debate about the BBC’s outlook, coverage and neutrality. For a moment, however, I would ask people stand back and look at the significance of what has happened, the precedent created and the model this has set for others.

A major national institution, one of great importance and with a globally renowned brand, has faced direct challenge over a number of watershed incidents. While it has taken some time, this institution has challenged itself over the internal understanding of anti-Jewish racism, and has been concerned enough to work with experts, and its own Jewish community, to develop something and then mandate its rollout. That training can’t cover everything, and it will not satisfy everyone, but a little good faith goes a long way, and the people leading this effort at the BBC have been doing so with care, diligence and thought. This time Aunty deserves a break.