I’ve seen the BBC flat out on the canvas before. Brave journalism is the best way to hit back | Roger Mosey

3 hours ago7 min read

The BBC, that venerable institution of British broadcasting, finds itself once again prostrate on the canvas, a familiar position for an organization that has weathered more political storms than most governments. Having served as a corporation executive during previous crises—the seismic Hutton report into Iraq coverage that felled director general Greg Dyke, and the Jimmy Savile revelations that ensnared George Entwistle despite his temporal distance from those historic crimes—I recognize this pattern all too well.The resignation of Tim Davie over the misleading editing of a Panorama programme represents not merely a self-inflicted wound but a strategic opening for the BBC's numerous adversaries, who have long circled like sharks awaiting precisely this moment. Their objective extends far beyond one programme's failings; it targets the very concept of public service broadcasting at a time when digital falsehoods threaten to overwhelm public discourse and foreign tech billionaires increasingly curate our informational diet.This assault demands a response reminiscent of Churchillian resolve: to rise and fight with renewed commitment to those foundational principles of honesty, accuracy, and truth that have made the BBC Britain's most trusted broadcaster despite its occasional missteps. The corporation's universality—its reach into every British household through the licence fee—remains both its greatest strength and the primary reason it attracts such vehement opposition from commercial competitors and political opponents alike.Historical precedent suggests that periods of existential crisis often precipitate the BBC's most profound reforms and most courageous journalism, from its stalwart coverage of World War II to its investigative triumphs during the 1980s. The path forward requires doubling down on distinctive British content that serves all demographics rather than chasing ratings through sensationalism, while simultaneously addressing legitimate concerns about editorial processes without capitulating to those who would dismantle the institution entirely.As with parliamentary democracy itself, the BBC's survival depends not on perfection but on its capacity for self-correction and its unwavering commitment to serving the public interest against all commercial and political pressures. This current trial may ultimately strengthen the corporation if it prompts the necessary introspection while galvanizing its defenders—including those within its own ranks—to articulate why an independent, publicly-funded broadcaster remains essential to national discourse in an age of algorithmic fragmentation and globalized media manipulation.

#editorial picks news

#BBC

#journalism

#Tim Davie

#resignation

#Panorama

#media trust

#public broadcasting

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