“Neighbour from hell” BBC needs to be stopped, warn UK local editors
Editors across the country today rounded on the BBC, accusing it of being a ‘neighbour from hell’ determined to wreck independent local journalism across the UK.
In an industry first, editors more used to competing with rivals united to warn readers that the BBC’s ramping up of local news online has now become a major threat to the sustainability of independent journalism in the UK.
The BBC has taken an axe to much-loved local radio stations, hollowing out local radio production in favour of regionalised and nationwide programmes instead. It has done so to free up cash to invest in online local news roles, directly competing with local news publishers already battling tech platforms like Google and Facebook.
Hundreds of local newspapers and websites ran letters from editors today, with an opinion article signed by editorial directors at local publishers also being published in the trade press and Daily Express.
Editors will also write to email subscribers, meaning millions of people will receive the articles outlining the BBC’s threat to local journalism.
In a message running across local titles today, editors warned that the BBC is as an “equally potent threat” to the sustainability of local journalism as the tech platforms, fixated on stealing local media’s readers, businesses, and the jobs of their journalists.
“If the BBC was a family and lived in the house next door to you it would be the neighbour from hell,” the editors said, adding that the attack on local news media would be a “shameful legacy” for BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
“The BBC seems to be on a mission to be the only show in town — having taken an axe to its much- loved local radio stations so it can start writing news stories online which you can already get from local newspapers which are currently battling with tech platforms like Google, Meta and Apple.”
The message is signed by Ian Carter, Iliffe Media editorial director; Toby Granville, Newsquest editorial development director; Gary Shipton, National World editorial director; Jeremy Spooner, News Media Association Independent Publishers Forum chair; Paul Rowland, Reach Regionals
editorial director; and Martin Wright, Midland News Association editor in chief.
It is thought to be the first time editorial chiefs from local publishers have co-signed a joint message in this way.
The editors said: “Unlike Google, Meta and co, the BBC’s funding is guaranteed by the licence fee, meaning the British public is underwriting the biggest threat local journalism has ever faced.
“It is splashing your cash on local news websites and making it increasingly difficult for proud, independent news sites to survive in the long term.
“How is it doing this? Back in October 2022, the BBC laid out plans to strengthen local online news provision in communities across England.
“The scheme includes the creation of 130 additional posts. More journalism would normally be welcomed, but the BBC’s plans put at risk thousands of existing jobs on titles known to their communities for generations.”
“Editors are convinced that as they juggle the realities of the cost-of-living crisis, the BBC — immune from the same commercial pressures — is fixated on stealing their readers, their businesses, and the jobs of their journalists. It either knows what is doing, and doesn’t care, or is ignorant to the impact
it will have.
“What a shameful legacy that would be for Tim Davie, the 17th Director-General of the BBC.”
The editors added: “It could do so much more to link to local publishers, helping them to thrive, rather than trying to close them down. Even such a simple act, repeatedly asked for over the years, seems beyond the BBC.
“The Government is taking welcome steps to tackle the market abuses by Meta and Google through the Digital Markets Bill, which will create a level playing field between publishers and tech platforms. Yet the BBC will remain as an equally potent threat, all but unchecked by Ofcom.
“Earlier this year we called on the BBC to be a better neighbour.
“It is time the BBC showed that it is not the biggest threat to local community independent journalism, but a global broadcaster focussed on delivering the very best television and radio in line with its charter.”
The BBC insists its plans to dial down on local radio and ramp up local journalism online are about making it more relevant to licence fees payers in 2023.
Yet there remains little evidence of a demand for additional local news from the BBC — and plenty of anger at the way local radio has been sacrificed, with dozens of well-known presenters being axed to make way for syndicated radio programmes with little local content in them.
The man driving the changes at local BBC, Jason Horton, was criticised at the weekend for celebrating BBC Radio Cumbria’s emergency show covering snowfall in the county. The station broke away from non-local shows to provide the coverage — something it would have been doing away had it not been stripped of local weekend shows for the the county.
The BBC appears to becoming increasingly sensitive to criticism about the way it is competing with local publishers online. A press release quoting Mr Horton celebrating a 21% increase in local news articles published online disappeared from the BBC website shortly after it first appeared.
The corporation would appear to have introduced targets for its digital teams around output too. A recent post on Linked In by a BBC editor said: “ “Been doing some number crunching today. Compared to October 2022, the number of stories the amazing BBC West team has published on the website has gone up 44%.”
He added: “They have all gone above and beyond to learn new skills and smash targets.”
The BBC has previously defended itselt against complaints from local publishers by pointing to the fact it funds the Local Democracy Reporter Scheme, costing several million pounds a year. Publishers, however, point out below-inflation rises in funding mean the BBC is serving up a real-term cut to the scheme every year at the moment.
