Royal Television Society Scraps Special Award For Gaza Journalists, Telling Jurors It Doesn’t Want To “Add Fuel To Fire” Of Scandal Around BBC Film

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: The Royal Television Society (RTS) has sparked anger after a late decision to scrap a special recognition award for journalists in Gaza at last night’s TV Journalism Awards.

In an email to jury chairs seen by Deadline, the RTS said it did not wish to “add fuel to the fire” around Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, the BBC documentary that was pulled after it was revealed that the child narrator was the son of a Hamas minister.

Adrian Wells, chair of the RTS Television Journalism Awards, said: “We had planned to award it to ‘Journalists in Gaza’ to recognise their enormous efforts over the last 18 months or so of extreme pressure and endeavour.

However, this award, in the end will not be given on Wednesday.” He added: “Already this has become a political football and the RTS is keen not to add fuel to the fire in this current environment.