Speaking at Global Media Security and Innovation 2026 event organised by the BBC World Service, BBC Director-General Tim Davie emphasised the World Service’s growing importance in times of insecurity and instability and urged the UK government to back the World Service.

BBC News Global Director Fiona Crack pressed the case for innovation, investment, and urgent intervention in the distribution space.

Both speeches can be read here: Tim-Davie&Fiona-Crack-GlobalMediaSecuritySpeeches.

Greeting the participants at the event, which focused on overcoming barriers to open and free media and discussed new ways of providing reliable content to global audiences, Tim Davie said:

“Media security means two things: the ability to produce journalism and the means to deliver it. For BBC journalism to thrive, and to be useful for people around the world, they need to have access to it. There is little point in producing world class journalism if people cannot read, see and hear it.

“This conversation comes at a critical time for the BBC. We’re in the middle of a discussion about the BBC’s future as part of the process of reviewing our Royal Charter. The BBC World Service is front and centre of that debate. Today it remains the most trusted international news provider around the world. Across 43 languages, it’s thanks to the World Service that BBC News reaches 418 million people on average every week.

“I have often talked about the growing importance of the BBC World Service in times of insecurity and instability. People in all corners of the globe depend increasingly on our ability to reach them with independent, impartial, accurate journalism they can trust. So as part of Charter review, we’re making the case for a strong BBC World Service that’s fit for the future.

“In the meantime, the current funding arrangement with the Foreign Office runs out at the end of March. Seven weeks today. We’re waiting to hear the outcome of the settlement. But while we do, other Western news organisations are cutting their international reporting teams, disinformation is flooding the digital sphere at an incredible speed, and state-backed media firms are using AI to promote propaganda.

“We have no time to lose. As a country, we face big decisions about our role in the international arena.

“I urge the government to back the World Service, to act decisively and confidently about what we can achieve in this space, and to act soon… So that amid all the global uncertainty, audiences can continue to rely on our journalism – the very best the UK has to offer.”

Fiona Crack, Global Director, BBC News said:

“If trusted news is the frontline in a war against disinformation, we are face to face with the enemy. And to be fit for this fight, we need to innovate and invest in our technological armour. Distribution and media security is an area that has always been a strength for the UK; we are building on a history of integrity and trust. But the world order is rapidly changing.”

She added: “How we reach our audiences is under considerable strain. Instances of hostile interference are climbing. The BBC is blocked, jammed, throttled or subject to shutdowns in an escalating number of countries. Only last month, when confronted with civil unrest, the Iranian regime enforced a total internet blackout. This is a problem on the rise.”

She concluded by saying: “It is our greatest duty to serve those in greatest need. As the largest and most trusted international news provider, the BBC World Service can play a unique role in helping to bring media security to countries and populations globally – but we can only do so with an industry-wide response and the right long-term investment in circumvention. Let me be clear, creating enhanced routes to audiences is no longer a desirable outcome. It is business critical. The risks of not doing so are far too great.”