ASIAN broadcaster Mishal Husain has said the BBC is facing an “existential” moment and must work out a new way to provide trusted news in the modern era.
The former presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme said the corporation is under intense pressure following the row over a Panorama clip of US president Donald TrumpDonald Trump.
The BBC edited the footage in a way that made it appear as though Trump had encouraged the Capitol riots. The mistake led the US president to threaten legal action worth up to $5 billion, raising fresh questions about the broadcaster’s impartiality.
Husain, who worked at the BBC for more than 25 years before joining Bloomberg, wrote about her concerns in Bloomberg’s The Forecast newsletter. She said she had seen “serious issues” inside the organisation during her time there, but this latest crisis felt especially grave.
She explained that part of the problem was timing. The BBC’s charter is up for review at the end of 2027, and culture secretary Lisa Nandy is expected to begin a wide-ranging review before Christmas. The government has signalled that questions over impartiality will be a key part of that process.
Husain also argued that the responsibilities placed on the director-general are too large. Tim Davie resigned from the role earlier this year, and Husain said the job combines the duties of chief executive and editor-in-chief, overseeing more than 5,000 journalists worldwide. She said this scale was “perhaps too vast for any one person”.
"There are also questions about governance. In increasingly divided societies, national institutions need to inspire trust across a large segment of the population, and yet several members of the BBC board – including the chairman – are appointed by the government of the day," she said.
“Now is the time for courage, for a non-partisan system of board appointments as well as continued accountability to the public.”
Some critics have accused board member Sir Robbie Gibb, a former Conservative communications chief, of pushing the broadcaster to the Right.
Husain left Today in 2024 after 11 years on the show and more than two decades at the corporation. She has previously criticised the rise of “personality-driven” journalism and said presenters should avoid an overly forceful style.
