"I find myself wholly unable to support the BBC's decision to pursue this avenue, she told the Beeb Watch podcast. Journalism cannot be linked or subordinated to defence and, dare I say, even soft power can be problematic, despite my past advocacy of it. We journalists know that journalism is about pursuing the truth, maintaining independence of thought, and holding power to account, however uncomfortable the results may be."
"Security is a word where I think there is a legitimacy to a conversation. As far as I understand, there is a conversation which is pointing out that activity by the BBC World Service, which is specifically focused on disinformation, has a relationship to security. Of course you have to have some pragmatism about where sources of funding might come from."
Using defence budget funding for the BBC World Service risks linking journalism to national security aims and compromising editorial independence. Senior BBC figures seek funding beyond the Foreign Office, citing the need to counter misinformation and respond to China and Russia’s overseas media investments. The World Service is argued to play a role in countering disinformation and reinforcing western values, but tying funding to defence or soft power raises ethical and independence concerns. Editorial independence is described as sacrosanct, and discussions about security-related funding require safeguards to protect truth-seeking and holding power to account.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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