Perhaps the most difficult of these is political. As an institution, the BBC has traditionally enjoyed support from across the political spectrum. But there is a faction on the right of the Conservative Party for whom the very idea of public service broadcasting is anathema. Many of them are now in government. The circle around Prime Minister Boris Johnson wasted no time in sharpening their knives after winning the last election, putting the BBC on notice that tough times lay ahead.
Still a trusted brand
While not quite in the same league as the NHS, it is undoubtedly one of the British institutions to enhance its reputation during the crisis. This has dampened attacks for a while. But make no mistake, its enemies are both highly motivated and ruthless. Whether death by a thousand cuts (like decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee and the vexed question of free TV licences for the over-75s) or one savage blow, they are on a mission to get the BBC.
But the BBC feels much stronger than it did just six months ago. Polls consistently show that the BBC is more trusted than its rival news organisations and this should embolden the new DG – the fact is that the public broadcaster has more credibility than those who would seek to destroy it.
All of which raises a related challenge: how to maintain a commitment to high-quality, impartial journalism that holds the powerful to account in such a hostile political environment? Davie’s guide here should be to stick with the evidence. As someone who has conducted many impartiality reviews of BBC coverage, I know how flimsy the accusations of leftist bias of the BBC really are. Those on the left have, in recent years, had far more genuine case for complaint.
Either way, the BBC should treat accusations of bias purely on their merits, regardless of who or where they come from. But to do so with credibility it will need to commission independent research on its news output (internal investigations won’t cut it) and take any findings seriously.
One broadcaster, four nations
Which leads me to a third challenge. We live in a devolved United Kingdom, a reality brought home by the way in which the four devolved governments have responded differently to the coronavirus. Different health systems, different rules, different messages. A survey conducted by a team from Cardiff University led by my colleague Stephen Cushion found that half the respondents were unaware of this – assuming incorrectly that the Westminster government’s announcements applied across Britain.
This is not good enough. It stems from an England-centric news media focusing too often on Westminster and too rarely reminding people there are different governments, rules and systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. After a series of BBC Trust reviews on this topic, the BBC’s record on this is better than most.