Former BBC journalist Mishal Husain has described the current turmoil at the broadcaster as feeling "existential" as senior executives prepare to face questioning from MPs next week.
A System in Need of Reform
Speaking on her podcast The Mishal Husain Show, the Bloomberg editor-at-large highlighted fundamental structural issues at the corporation. She argued that the director general role was "too vast" for any single person, noting the position carries responsibility for more than 5,000 journalists worldwide while serving as both chief executive and editor-in-chief.
"What is at stake now is well beyond the BBC and speaks to the challenges of maintaining trust in our polarised age," Husain stated. Reflecting on her experience within the organisation, she added: "I did see serious issues play out from the inside. This one … feels existential."
Political Appointments Under Scrutiny
The former BBC presenter called for courageous reforms to separate the state broadcaster from government influence. She specifically criticised the current appointment system where several members of the BBC board – including the chair – are chosen by the government of the day.
"In increasingly divided societies, national institutions need to inspire trust across a large segment of the population," Husain emphasised. "Now is the time for courage, for a non-partisan system of board appointments as well as continued accountability to the public."
Her comments come amid growing pressure on Robbie Gibb, a board member and former Conservative No 10 press secretary, who faces accusations of orchestrating a rightwing coup. Both MPs and BBC staff have demanded his removal following the high-profile resignations of director general Tim Davie and chief executive of news Deborah Turness.
Impartiality Questions and Political Fallout
The crisis deepened with the leaking of an internal report by editorial standards advisor Michael Prescott, which criticised BBC impartiality. The report highlighted a controversial edit in a Panorama episode about the Capitol riot, where two segments of a Donald Trump speech nearly an hour apart were spliced together.
The edited clip showed Trump appearing to say: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol … and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell." However, the actual speech separated these phrases by more than 50 minutes, with the full context showing different meaning.
The aftermath saw Trump threatening legal action against the BBC, demanding between $1 billion and $5 billion in damages despite the corporation's legal team issuing an apology last week.
BBC chair Samir Shah, along with non-executive directors Robbie Gibb and Caroline Thomson, are scheduled to give evidence about editorial standards at the public broadcaster before the culture, media and sport committee hearing next Monday.
Husain concluded with a warning that extends beyond British borders: "It is far easier to pick apart institutions than focus on making them fit for our fractious age, and for the future."
