Research finds three quarters of amateur footage used in coverage of the Arab spring was not accompanied by warnings
The BBC has started issuing on-air cautions for all user-generated material it broadcasts, following research showing that three quarters of amateur footage used during the Arab spring was not accompanied by warnings about its provenance.
The corporation now alerts viewers when it has not been able to independent verify pictures or video taken by members of the public, according to a BBC Trust report published on Tuesday.
The Trust said the BBC introduced on-air warnings following a review of its Arab spring coverage, published in June 2012. Edward Mortimer, the former foreign affairs commentator who authored last year's BBC Trust report, said at the time he was "surprised" to learn that 74% of 171 items of user-generated footage aired on the BBC carried no caveats about authenticity.
In a follow-up report published on Tuesday, the trust said: "Since the review was published, the BBC has adopted new wording for all user-generated footage where independent verification has not been possible and the trust considers this will help the audience understand the vetting process to which all such content is subjected."
The BBC now routinely warns viewers about footage it has not been able to verify independently, issuing on-air cautions such as: "The BBC has not been able to fully authenticate this footage but, based on additional checks made on it, it is believed to be genuine."
Footage purporting to show a rebel fighter being killed while attempting to save a girl caught in crossfire was pulled after doubts were raised about its provenance, the report said.
The BBC has adopted a number of measures to improve its foreign affairs coverage since the 2012 report, according to the trust. These include the appointment of "story champions" to shape coverage, the adoption of "stand back moments" to reflect on output, and the regular attendance of Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's Middle East editor, at news group board meetings.
Bowen has attended the high-level meetings "to provide his analysis of future stories and themes, and his reflections on past coverage," the BBC said.
It added: "This has, we believe, enabled us to set coverage priorities each quarter. As with other editors, he also helps to guide coverage internally through his published online journalism."
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