BBC board in crisis

BBC board in crisis: This corporate governance mess is far bigger and more unique than any similar case because, quite simply, it’s the BBC. 

Britain’s national broadcaster, and one of the most recognisable global news brands, is in the eye of a storm that goes far beyond a simple governance spat. 

Two shock executive resignations have brought the board into the much-unwanted spotlight, creating a leadership vacuum at the worst possible time. 

The story has evolved into a heated debate, fuelled by questions of editorial judgement and a lack of independence in the face of political interference. Politicans have weighed in. The President of the United States is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit. 

From a governance perspective, this is an incredibly unique nightmare, and one that only organisations like the BBC would ever have to face.

Some of the events are as recent as this week, others have been simmering longer: 

• The current crisis took shape when a leaked memo from former independent BBC board advisor Michael Scott alleged a “serious and systemic bias” in the BBC’s reporting. 
• The memo specifically mentioned the editing of a speech by Donald Trump on the day of the US Capitol Riot for a Panorama documentary. The clip spliced together two separate parts of Trump’s speech before the riot, which BBC Chair Samir Shah later said had given “the impression of a direct call for violent action”. 
• BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness (both executive members of the board) have resigned in the wake of the scandal. Turness said the “buck stops with me” in announcing her resignation. 
• Donald Trump has weighed in. He says he is “obligated” to sue the BBC – with the suggested amount being $1 billion – unless the organisation agrees to a retraction, apology and compensation. 
• Meanwhile, domestic pressure has ramped up on another board member, Robbie Gibb, to resign. Reports have suggested that he had a leading role in the original memo, and critics have focused on his history with the right wing of British politics.
• The entire saga comes amid increasing criticism within the BBC over its coverage of other core global issues, such as the Gaza war and transgender rights.

The latest events for the BBC are nothing short of a governance crisis. Two very high-profile executive board members leaving their posts simultaneously and over the same scandal is a real reputational blow and governance headache. 

It also feeds the risk for day-to-day operations, having such vital responsibilities change hands in a time of crisis. Unless that’s managed correctly with proper succession planning processes, it can create problems of its own. 

But that just covers the bog-standard governance issues. There’s a whole other side to this particular story.

The news has sparked a wider crisis for the BBC. It is one of the most recognisable news sources in the world and has historically praised its reporting calibre as extensive, balanced and trustworthy. Over the years, the organisation has amassed a significant pool of stakeholders in countries far beyond the UK’s borders. 

And now it’s in a crisis centring on its own editorial judgement, with accusations of bias and political interference growing from both sides of the polarised political divide. 

The criticism from Trump is the most obvious from the right. He has threatened to sue for an astronomical sum. If there’s one thing his second presidency has shown so far, it’s that when he wants to target individual organisations, he has a knack for backing them into a corner and forcing concessions in favour of him and his administration. 

Meanwhile, criticism from the opposite side persists too. Prominent MPs from the British Labour Party and Liberal Democrats have zeroed in on board member Robbie Gibb, suggesting that his involvement amounts to deliberate efforts to push a narrative of bias for political and ideological gain. 

Within all that, the BBC board and executives must maintain continuity as finger-pointing and strong rhetoric persist around and about them. 

This is the truly unique nature of this governance crisis: an organisation with so many stakeholders, commanding so much worldwide attention, now finding itself caught in a vicious debate around editorial bias and standards, framed by today’s polarised politics. That won’t go away overnight, and it will be perhaps the toughest challenge many at the board level have faced.