London, March 26, 2025 – Over 50 former journalists and executives of the BBC World Service have raised alarms over potential funding cuts, cautioning that such reductions could weaken the UK’s global media influence and allow countries like Russia and China to expand their strategic narratives.
Despite a £32 million funding boost in the autumn budget, concerns persist regarding the long-term sustainability of the World Service. The former employees argue that continued financial instability could undermine efforts to combat disinformation from authoritarian regimes and reduce the BBC’s ability to provide independent, fact-based journalism to global audiences.
“The BBC World Service has been a beacon of free and impartial news for decades. Weakening its funding could leave a vacuum that authoritarian state-controlled media will be eager to fill,” the group stated in an open letter.
The UK government has yet to clarify its stance on further financial commitments, fueling uncertainty over whether the BBC’s multilingual services and global outreach can be maintained at their current scale. Analysts warn that reduced funding could lead to programming cuts, job losses, and weakened coverage in critical regions, at a time when reliable journalism is needed more than ever.
With geopolitical tensions rising and state-sponsored propaganda becoming more sophisticated, advocates stress that supporting independent journalism remains vital in safeguarding democratic values worldwide.-AirMedia Broadcast
