THE Royal Television Society (RTS) scrapped a special recognition award for journalists in Gaza at last night’s TV Journalism Awards.
The move has sparked anger, with a former senior news executive calling it “spineless”.
The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) have found that at least 170 journalists and media workers were among the more than tens of thousands killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon since the war began – 162 of whom are Palestinian – making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
The RTS award was meant to honour them and recognise their efforts over the last 18 months – but it was cancelled at the last minute.
News site Deadline reportedly saw an email sent to jury chairs from RTS, who said the award was being scrapped to avoid adding “fuel to the fire” amid the controversy around a recent BBC Gaza documentary.
Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone was removed from BBC iPlayer after it emerged that the 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as deputy minister of agriculture in Gaza’s government, which is administered by Hamas.
Adrian Wells, chair of the RTS Television Journalism Awards, said: “Already this has become a political football and the RTS is keen not to add fuel to the fire in this current environment. It is a shame that this cannot proceed but rest assured there is a very strong showing and recognition of journalism from Gaza throughout the rest of the evening.”
Wells also explicitly referenced attacks against the BBC’s documentary from the media and criticism of Channel 4 News for also featuring 13-year-old Abdullah in its coverage.
In a statement, an RTS spokesperson told Deadline: “Investigations have recently been launched into a number of news reports from Gaza and, as those reviews are ongoing, we didn’t feel it was appropriate to proceed with the award this year.”
Ben de Pear, the former editor of Channel 4 News, slammed the decision (below).
Gaza dominated @RTS_media last night so why did the RTS cancel the Special Award for Gazan journalists which had been almost unanimously recommended by RTS Jurors ? Around 200 of our colleagues have been killed in unprecedented numbers telling a story for us we cannot access https://t.co/UG3JiSflHV
— Ben de Pear (@bendepear) March 6, 2025
He wrote on Twitter/X: Gaza dominated [the awards] last night so why did the RTS cancel the Special Award for Gazan journalists which had been almost unanimously recommended by RTS Jurors ? Around 200 of our colleagues have been killed in unprecedented numbers telling a story for us we cannot access.”
De Pear added: “The decision was taken because of failures/omissions in the telling of a story in the UK; not because of Gazans' failures. They were punished and excluded in a last minute and unaccountable process without referral or participation of the RTS Journalism members/juries or chairs.
“Presenters & winners repeatedly cited the battle for truth we are in across world, the importance of television journalism & the bravery of those targeted for it & then the very organisation which presides over the recognition of all of this cancels the very award recognising it.”
