BBC Breaking News: Is the BBC biased? (A Study)

If Is the BBC biased? has a purpose it's to ask, "Is the BBC biased?"

One way to answer that question is to gather data and present it for public inspection. Analysis can then be carried out by anyone who wants to carry it out and conclusions drawn.

As you may have noticed, we have been focusing on the present Gaza conflict, and I've tried a few ways to monitor the BBC's coverage (so far).

One way I struck on was to record every tweet about the story on the BBC's widely-followed Breaking News Twitter feed (10.5 million followers).

Here they are, each and every one of them from the 30th June till today.

Does it show anti-Israel bias, pro-Israel bias, or no bias whatsoever?

Please judge for yourselves (maybe imagine yourselves to be working in the media studies department at Cardiff University and preparing a report on the subject of BBC bias):


BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jun 30
Israeli cabinet meets to discuss developments in search for three teenagers missing for two weeks in West Bank http://bbc.in/V3fx3Z

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jun 30
Israel confirms bodies of three teenagers who went missing in West Bank were found north of Hebron http://bbc.in/V3oaLR

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jun 30
Join our live coverage after bodies of missing Israeli teenagers "found in pit" in West Bank http://bbc.in/1pEOz0j  pic.twitter.com/FqrJgfJjlD

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jun 30
Israel's president "determined to fiercely punish" those behind deaths of missing teenagers #EyalGiladNaftali http://bbc.in/1mB1UPb

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jun 30
"Hamas is responsible and Hamas will pay" for deaths of three young Israelis, PM Netanyahu says http://bbc.in/V3SGFr  #EyalGiladNaftali

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 3
Funeral of Palestinian teen killed in Israel delayed - row between police and family over release of body http://bbc.in/1iZLJ33

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 3
Family of murdered Palestinian teen clarify his body hasn't been released as it's in post-mortem http://bbc.in/1kgxySe

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 6
Israeli police have arrested six suspects over the murder of a Palestinian teenager, Israeli media report http://bbc.in/1obCY24

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 6
Palestinian armed group Hamas says Israeli air strike killed six militants - Israeli forces confirm they carried out attacks on Gaza

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 7
Gaza militants fire more rockets into southern Israel, Israeli officials say http://bbc.in/TO77w2

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 8
117 rockets struck Israel in last 24 hours; 29 more intercepted, Israeli military says http://bbc.in/1mdmxpw

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 9
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to "further intensify attacks on Hamas" after talks with defence chiefs http://bbc.in/1tn7nmk

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 9
Three rockets launched from Gaza towards town of Dimona and its nuclear reactor in south of Israel, Israeli military says

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 9
Two rockets fired from Gaza fall near Israeli town of Dimona, while third is intercepted http://bbc.in/1jpt3tR  pic.twitter.com/pguZn9AEFe

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 10
Up to 20 people killed in overnight Israeli air raids on Gaza, Palestinian sources say http://bbc.in/1jfPukY

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 10
Middle East can't afford "another full-blown war", UN's Ban Ki-moon says in appeal for Israel and Hamas ceasefire http://bbc.in/1rbrwYg

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 11
8 people killed overnight in airstrikes on Gaza, death toll rises to 98 & 670 injured - Palestinian health ministry http://bbc.in/1kcvHht

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 11
Gaza death toll from Israel air strikes tops 100, Palestinian sources say, as Gaza rocket attacks on Israel continue http://bbc.in/1qqDVX8

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 11
Israel will resist international pressure to halt Gaza operations, PM Netanyahu says  http://bbc.in/1qrsKgI

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 12
UN Security Council calls for ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip http://bbc.in/1sLEsnK

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 12
Salvo of rockets intercepted over Tel Aviv after Hamas military wing said that it would target the Israeli city http://bbc.in/1s7S4MO

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 12
Fifteen Palestinians killed in Israeli air strike near mosque, health officials in Gaza say http://bbc.in/1mWa4rt

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 12
Four Israeli soldiers injured inside Gaza during operation targeting Palestinian rocket sites, says Israeli military http://bbc.in/1muKFE9

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 14
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague tells House of Commons that 27 British nationals were evacuated from #Gaza last night

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 14
Israel's security cabinet to meet on Tuesday morning to discuss Egyptian ceasefire proposal, officials say http://bbc.in/U5hU55

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 14
Israel accepts Egypt's proposed truce in Gaza fighting - Hamas militants have set conditions http://bbc.in/1n53ejq

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 14
Palestinian health ministry says 189 killed, 1,400 injured in Gaza since Israel's latest offensive began

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 15
Israel says it has resumed bombardment of Gaza after earlier accepting a truce proposal, as Hamas continued firing http://bbc.in/1n68bIO

Retweeted by BBC Breaking News
Quentin Sommerville @sommervillebbc  ·  Jul 15
38 yo Israeli man killed in rocket attack near Erez - first Israeli casualty in the conflict.  194 Palestinians have been killed so far.

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 15
Israeli civilian killed by rocket fire from Gaza, first Israeli casualty in more than a week of fighting, army says  http://bbc.in/1rokP57

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 15
Some Israelis have been seriously injured - this is the first Israeli fatality in more than a week of fighting http://bbc.in/1mdBV08

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 15
Israeli army again warns Palestinians in eastern and northern Gaza to take shelter before further air strikes
http://bbc.in/1p4OiyA

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 15
Palestinian health ministry says Gaza deaths from Israeli airstrikes now top 200 http://bbc.in/1jw5nnt

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 16
Four Palestinian children killed in an Israeli air raid on a beach in Gaza http://bbc.in/1p8ujz5

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 16
Israeli Defense Forces says it's "carefully investigating" incident in which 4 children were killed in Gaza strike http://bbc.in/1p9LwIv

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 16
Israel announces "humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza after 9 days of deadly rocket and missile exchanges with militants http://bbc.in/UcMlH9

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 16
Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai says the humanitarian ceasefire will be from 1000am to 1500 local time on Thursday http://bbc.in/1rrvg8h

Retweeted by BBC Breaking News
Quentin Sommerville @sommervillebbc  ·  Jul 17
In BBC inteview, @PresidentPeres says Israel is "really sorry" for deaths of 4 boys killed on Gaza beach. "It was an accident", he said.

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
At least two rockets fired from Gaza during humanitarian ceasefire, Israeli security forces say  http://bbc.in/1tUGbvk

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
At least 2 mortars fired from Gaza during humanitarian ceasefire, Israeli security forces say http://bbc.in/1tUHBGp  (updates munition type)

Retweeted by BBC Breaking News
Quentin Sommerville @sommervillebbc  ·  Jul 17
BREAKING: Senior Israeli official tells the BBC there will be a comprehensive ceasefire from 6am tomorrow morning following talks in Egypt.

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
Fresh Israel-Gaza ceasefire agreed in Egypt, to take effect 0300 GMT Friday - Israeli official tells the BBC http://bbc.in/1tUWkAZ

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
Israel-Gaza five-hour humanitarian ceasefire officially ended http://bbc.in/1rtskI3

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
Reports from Hamas say no new ceasefire deal reached; efforts ongoing http://bbc.in/1tUHBGp

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
No fresh ceasefire in Gaza hostilities has been agreed, Israeli FM Lieberman says denying earlier report http://bbc.in/1rtyZSy

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it found 20 rockets hidden in one of its vacant schools in Gaza http://bbc.in/1rjLCCn

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
Israeli prime minister orders military to begin ground offensive in Gaza http://bbc.in/1nBBUng

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
Israeli military says goal of offensive is "to target Hamas tunnels that enable terrorists to infiltrate Israel" http://bbc.in/1qLim3E

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 17
Hamas spokesman says Israeli ground operation is "foolish" and will have "dreadful consequences" http://bbc.in/1qLim3E

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 18
Israel prepared to significantly widen ground offensive in #Gaza, PM Netanyahu says http://bbc.in/1rm7Ljj

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 18
3 Palestinian children killed by Israeli tank shell in #Gaza, death toll since start of operation now 264 http://bbc.in/1qNeoY9

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking  ·  Jul 18
Number of people in Gaza seeking refuge in UN shelters doubles in 24 hours, since Israeli ground offensive - UN http://bbc.in/1oRivQB 


Breakdown: There are 52 tweets in total above. Their topics are broken down below:

1-5 The murdered Israeli teens
6-8 The murdered Palestinian teen
9 Israeli strikes on Gaza
10-11 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel
12 Benjamin Netanyahu statement
13-14 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel
15 Israeli strikes on Gaza - number of Palestinian fatalities
16 UN statement
17 Israeli strikes on Gaza - number of Palestinian fatalities
18 Israeli strikes on Gaza - number of Palestinian fatalities
19 Benjamin Netanyahu statement
20 UN statement
21 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel
22 Israeli strikes on Gaza - number of Palestinian fatalities
23 Israeli soldiers injured
24 William Hague statement
25-26 News on the first truce
27 Israeli strikes on Gaza - number of Palestinian fatalities
28 News on the end of the first truce
29-31 Israeli civilian victim of Hamas rocket attack on Gaza
32 Israeli warning to Gaza civilians to take shelter
33 Israeli strikes on Gaza - number of Palestinian fatalities
34-35 Palestinian children killed in Israeli air raid
36-37 Israel announces ceasefire
38 Shimon Peres statement about Palestinian children killed in Israeli air raid
39 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel during ceasefire
40 Hamas mortar attacks on Israel during ceasefire
41-42 Possible temperament ceasefire?
43 Ceasefire ends
44-45 Statements from Hamas & Israel saying no permanent ceasefire
46 UN says Hamas hidden rockets in a school
47-48 Israel orders ground offensive
49 Hamas statement about ground offensive
50 Benjamin Netanyahu statement
51 Palestinian children killed in Israeli air raid -
52 UN statement re Gaza refugees

I make that:

16 tweets about attacks on Israel/Israeli suffering
16 tweets about attacks on Palestinians/Palestinian suffering