The LRB Podcast On Politics: The Bust-up at the BBC
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Nov 26, 2025 
Lewis Goodall, a former BBC journalist and now co-host of the News Agents podcast, discusses the ongoing crisis at the BBC, sparked by accusations of partiality in their reporting. He points out how the corporation has prioritized perceived impartiality over truth, shaped by fear of right-wing backlash. Dan Hind, a media reform advocate, argues for restructuring public media, criticizing the BBC's reliance on access-driven journalism. Together, they examine the challenges facing the BBC in a digital age and propose innovative reforms for the future.
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Episode notes
Perception Over Substance Broke Trust
- BBC management shifted from valuing substantive impartiality to managing perceptions of impartiality under Tim Davie.
- Lewis Goodall argues this caused risk-averse editorial decisions and fear of complaints over truthfulness.
‘Centrist’ Critics Are Politically Framed
- The dossier attacking the BBC reads like a right‑wing cultural hit list but its authors often see themselves as neutral centrists.
- Goodall says claims of an institutional left bias rest more on hunches than comprehensive evidence.
Impartiality Fails Against Populism
- Populist, anti-system politics break the BBC's old impartiality model tied to institutional actors.
- Lewis Goodall says the BBC struggles to treat constitutional breaches differently from routine political disputes.
