News Broadcasting
BBC Global News director chair international committee on journalists’ safety
MUMBAI: An international committee is being established to investigate the dangers facing journalists around the world. The committee chaired by the BBC’s Global News division’s director will also recommend ways to protect them at work.
BBC’s overall international news strategy, radio, TV and online head, Richard Sambrook announced details of the committee during the annual Poliak Lecture, hosted by the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York.
Media organisations, government representatives, non-government organisations and human rights campaigners will be involved in the committee of inquiry, which is being led by the International News Safety Institute, the organisation that is dedicated to the safety of journalists and media staff, says a company release.
“Journalists are now at risk to a greater extent than they have ever been before,” said Sambrook in his address.
“Where once their neutrality was widely recognised and respected, today they are targeted and sought out [by aggressors], seen as high-profile representatives of their countries or cultures. Increased partisanship in our media may have played a part in that; there may be other factors too. But with 85 journalists or support staff killed in the last year, we, as an industry, cannot carry on and do nothing. It is now one of the biggest inhibitions on freedom of reporting,” he added.
In his wide-ranging speech, Sambrook, who is responsible for the BBC World news television channel, BBC World Service radio and the BBC’s international-facing websites, also focused on the issue of objectivity in journalism.
He called on broadcasters and publications to avoid patriotic reporting and reminded them of their “responsibility” to “ask the difficult questions”.
“Before Iraq, it seemed to me that some US news broadcasters wrapped themselves in the flag and, as a consequence, did not perform the role the public expects of them.
“I understand the problem. The mindset of the country was that it was at war. Our natural instinct is to support our country. But the responsibility of the news media is to ask the difficult questions, to press, to verify. And we now know that all of us failed to ask the right questions about WMD in advance of the war. That isn’t to say the war was wrong: each can make their own mind up about that,” he added.
“But to do so they need accurate information, evidence that has been tested. And if a news organisation imbues itself with patriotism, it inhibits itself from asking some of those questions,” Sambrook concluded, as reported in the release.
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
