Public interest journalism is under attack. We must fight for the BBC
4 min read
Cuts are damaging vital BBC journalism at a time when it is needed most.
We are living through an era in which falsehood travels fast, and truth struggles to keep up. AI-generated fake news, manipulated images and videos, targeted attacks on journalists, and the growing corporate concentration of media ownership are all reshaping the information landscape.
In that environment, the need for trusted, independent public service broadcasting becomes even greater. It is no coincidence that, despite years of political attacks from those hostile to the very idea of public service broadcasting, the BBC remains the most trusted source of news in the UK.
But trust cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned, protected and properly resourced. Careful, rigorous reporting doesn’t happen by chance. It requires skilled workers having the time and support they need to uphold standards that matter to us all.
The BBC has suffered real-terms cuts of 30 per cent since 2010, through reductions, freezes and below-inflation licence fee settlements agreed in closed-door negotiations with ministers. The burden fell heavily on regional and local news, particularly in radio. For many communities, that meant the erosion of genuinely local programming: the kind that reflects local identities, scrutinises local power and gives voices to people too often ignored by national debate.
The World Service also paid a heavy price. Repeated rounds of cuts have reduced its reach at precisely the moment it is most needed. In many parts of the world, the BBC World Service is not merely a broadcaster but a lifeline: a source of credible information in places where truth is suppressed.
And now BBC workers are expected to face even more cuts. One in ten BBC jobs is at risk, with the consequences felt most sharply in BBC News, Nations and Content. This comes at a time when workers across newsrooms are already spread too thin, and many are at risk of burnout.
For around £3.50 a week, the BBC provides television, radio and digital services on a scale unmatched by commercial rivals – without advertising and without hiding its best content behind premium tiers. That is extraordinary value
The BBC's new leadership must listen to those workers and reconsider these cuts. Pressing ahead now would be both damaging and premature, especially with Charter Renewal on the horizon. This should be a moment to strengthen the BBC's future, not to weaken it further before the national conversation about what public service broadcasting should look like has even properly begun.
The government also has a responsibility to act. Urgent intervention is needed to protect jobs, preserve quality news and maintain programming. That means funding the World Service in full and reversing the damaging decision to make the BBC shoulder the cost of free TV licences for eligible over-75s. A broadcaster cannot be expected to absorb political decisions of that scale without consequences for the services it provides.
The case for supporting the BBC is not hard to make. Ninety-four per cent of people use BBC services every month, yet only 80 per cent pay the licence fee. For around £3.50 a week, the BBC provides television, radio and digital services on a scale unmatched by commercial rivals – without advertising and without hiding its best content behind premium tiers. That is extraordinary value.
But the BBC must remain universal. Public service broadcasting works only when it is genuinely public: available to all, accountable to all, and protected from political and commercial interference. That means no subscription model, no two-tier service and no paywalls for so-called premium content. The BBC belongs to all of us, and its future should be decided in that spirit. Whether through sustained increases to the licence fee or through forms of progressive taxation, it must be funded fairly and sufficiently. Any decision about that future must involve meaningful public consultation and proper parliamentary scrutiny.
Alongside proper funding, the BBC's independence must be strengthened. The National Union of Journalists is right to call for reforms that would help journalists report freely and without fear or interference, including worker representation on the BBC board and an end to political appointees.
This is a once-in-a-generation moment. The government must listen to BBC workers, defend the principle of universal public service broadcasting and secure the future of our national broadcaster. If we believe that truth matters, then we must back the BBC.
Rebecca Long-Bailey is Labour MP for Salford
