The BBC has just announced that it will start an emergency radio service for listeners in Gaza. Daily news bulletins will be produced in London and Cairo by BBC News Arabic, the corporation’s Arabic-language television service.
The radio service will broadcast on medium wave, initially with a single afternoon programme from November 3, and an additional morning programme from November 10. The BBC’s stated aim is to provide “vital news daily to the people of Gaza during this time of urgent need”, including practical information about where to access shelter, food and water supplies.
Why would people in Gaza want to listen to the BBC? Partly because of the BBC’s reputation for providing trustworthy news for a global audience. Reuters Institute research suggests that the BBC remains the most trusted news source in the UK itself, and that in the US the BBC is trusted more than any domestic national media network. But this analysis does not extend to cover the views of audiences in the Middle East.
