Written by Noel Curran, Director General of the European Broadcasting Union
The original publication is available at the link on the EBU website.
The BBC’s turbulent week has reverberated across Europe, sharpening the spotlight on the challenges facing public service media. In this blog, the EBU’s Director General Noel Curran places these events in context, underlining why strong internal editorial processes and a culture of self-scrutiny are essential to PSM - and what sets it apart. The lessons from this episode matter for every PSM organization, and taken seriously, they can help strengthen the sector for the future.
It's been a traumatic ten days of controversy and resignations at the BBC, which will have repercussions right around Europe.
The resignation of Director General Tim Davie is a huge loss - for the BBC and for the EBU, where he sits on our Executive Board. I have huge respect for Tim. I have worked closely with him for three years now. As an EBU Board member he has been committed, challenging and very smart - and he will be missed.
If you have read any website or newspaper in the last week, you will get the full account of the accusations of bias made against the BBC. There have been countless commentaries about the decline in standards, the inadequate processes, even the end of public service media (PSM) in the UK. The media criticism and scrutiny has been aggressive, personal and incredibly intense.
Undoubtedly there have been mistakes which are clear to see and, in the case of the controversial edit, hard to understand.
The BBC needs to question, learn and move on. As a journalist, Editor, senior manager and Director General I have had to manage many crises. Most, I hope, I handled well but some not so well. Importantly, it was the ones I messed up on that I learned the most from.
The BBC criticisms have been picked up by PSM critics right across Europe. A stormy BBC wave reaches many shores. Directors General have already faced calls for resignations for previous errors and that may become shriller over time. "If the Director General of the BBC can resign, you should too" seems to be the clarion call. Last week was a difficult one for PSM as a result.
I will not repeat the details of what happened – that has been done extensively and indeed more may emerge. Nor would I seek to downplay any of it.
But a little context has been lost here.
Firstly, ALL of the accusations listed in the letter sent to the BBC Board were revealed by the BBC’s own internal processes. The person who wrote the leaked memo revealing the accusations of bias was Michael Prescott, an advisor to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC). Much of what he was 'revealing' was work already done by David Grossman, a senior BBC editorial figure. It was Grossman's diligent work that uncovered the controversial edit of President Trump’s speech.
There are understandable and justifiable questions as to why no ‘formal action’ was taken after this edit was revealed.
But it’s important to remember what this process represents: an organization examining its own output and surfacing its own mistakes. You won’t find many commercial media companies with systems this transparent – they simply don’t operate in the same way.
Across Europe, many PSM organizations have variations of this – they question themselves, review their own work and investigate difficult issues.
But what’s the point of processes if they fail? Well, they don’t always fail.
Another transparent feature of the BBC’s EGSC is that they publish abbreviated minutes of their meetings for all to see. Have a look at those minutes. They list so many topics that have been investigated and what actions were taken.
Let’s be clear, none of this is to say that the BBC did not at times breach its own high editorial standards. It clearly did. Nor is to say that all breaches were followed up correctly. But the beating the BBC has taken in the last ten days in no way reflects the world-class quality of their content, their journalism and their review processes.
I have been asked by many Directors General this week what I think the lessons for all of us are from what has happened. Well, as someone who has learned some lessons the hard way over the years, I have my Top Ten – some not specifically related to recent events.
- The importance of constantly questioning ourselves, examining our output and questioning our tone and approach. Trust is our lifeblood. We need to constantly monitor it and respond.
- The need for both strong Editorial Reviews with clear follow through and a defined decision making processes in the event of an internal disagreement about an editorial issue. Who makes the final call on next steps if people around the table disagree?
- Mistakes will happen. We are dealing with thousands of individual pieces of content every week. Thousands. We will make mistakes. Our journalists will make mistakes. But the biggest mistake we can make is having our journalists so afraid of getting something wrong that they no longer challenge or question or investigate.
- How we respond to mistakes is just as important as how we avoid them.
- Transparency is key. If the edit of President Trump’s speech had been clearly identified as an edit would the reaction have been so strong? Would it have even made it through to air or would someone in the editorial chain have questioned it more thoroughly?
- Communication, particularly in the days immediately after a crisis breaks, is key.
- Don’t get drawn into a “them and us” mindset. PSM is under political attack and is being aggressively targeted by some (but not all) parts of the commercial media. But we need to be so careful not to fall into tribal thinking. If people pay their licence fee then they are us – regardless of their views or political allegiance. Being pushed by constant attacks into consciously or subconsciously “taking a side” is for me one of the biggest risks we face.
- In the social media age, public figures are more exposed to personal attacks than ever. We saw that with Tim Davie this year. Politicians and policymakers need to understand this isn’t just “a BBC problem” - it could happen to any of them. And that’s exactly why strong, independent public service media is so essential.
- We need to communicate more directly with audiences. Mainstream media still matters but we don’t always get a fair hearing. That means smarter use of social media, mobilising supporters and partners, and promoting our work well beyond our own airwaves. The EBU PSM Compass team are looking closely at this and will be working with Members.
- Finally, don’t lose confidence. It has been bruising but we all need to remember that our people are good at what they do. We are trusted at what we do. We have impact with what we do. And I believe PSM remains a critical force for good in a world that needs those trusted voices.
For the BBC, this has been a tumultuous week, but let’s keep it in perspective.
- The BBC remains the most trusted media organization in the UK for good reason. That trust has been dented, but it can be rebuilt – and that has to be their primary focus.
- Tim Davie’s departure is a loss but already lists have been published of strong, experienced candidates who could replace him.
- The Charter review is at a critical moment but the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy - despite her past criticism - has so far avoided ‘BBC bashing’ and has been measured and supportive of its mission. The BBC can still secure its future with this review.
- President Trump’s threatened multi-billion dollar lawsuit is serious but US courts have a less strict approach to commentary on public figures, proven malice is required, the programme’s US reach is unclear and he went on to win the election shortly after broadcast – all of which makes assessing damages complex.
For all PSM organizations, this adds fuel to a growing fire. Life is getting more and more complex - with political pressures in a polarised world, the dominance of Big Tech and ever-changing audience preferences.
But what we do is more important for all those reasons. We need to remember that.
PSM is not standing still. PSM remains the most trusted source of news for a reason despite decades of upheaval. I see digital growth in so many of our Members. I see transformation projects right across Europe. I see gains as well as losses after political change.
None of that is to underestimate the challenges we face. But there are also wins out there. What is clear is that constant change and upheaval is now the norm. Embracing that fully and completely in everything we do is what will sustain us.
We at the EBU are here to help you make that leap – and keep moving forward.
