The BBC World Service is viewed as a critical British asset in the global information war
With Russia and China pumping resources into their own state-funded news arms, Britain and the BBC fear being left behind. Photograph: Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty ImagesFirst, tightening budgets forced it to axe HARDTalk. Now, doubts over its future as a tool of Britain’s global “soft power” have thrustWorld Service into the centre of political debate.
“Malign actors, both state and non-state, are waging war against the truth,” said Thornberry. “Some countries are aggressively attempting to dominate the global media landscape to further their own interests. The World Service makes an indispensable contribution to the UK’s soft power and global standing.”
The World Service, which is mostly a radio operator, broadcasts internationally in 42 languages; BBC insists that, despite the job cuts, it has no plans to cut any language division. Yet in recent years it has been forced to close some radio services in regions of the world that are crucial geopolitical hotpots..
In the run-up to chancellor Rachel Reeves’s October budget, it was announced that HARDTalk was being axed after almost 30 years, to save cash. The letter sent on Friday was also critical of this decision: “We are concerned that whilst plans to cut HARDTalk are clear, plans for a replacement are less so.”
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