The Impact of the BBC - BBC World Service
A priceless national asset
The BBC World Service is a priceless national asset, unique in serving a global audience of hundreds of millions of people each week across 43 language services. It sits at the heart of our commitment to the fearless pursuit of truth, with no agenda, and is a powerful force for the UK’s global presence and for democratic values around the world.
For more than 90 years the World Service has been a beacon of impartial journalism and a lifeline for people living in fear, uncertainty, or unrest worldwide. In the age of disinformation and democratic disruption, emboldened by AI, the World Service has an increasingly vital role for UK national security and in standing up for global media freedom and stability at a critical time.
The world’s most trusted news provider
418m
BBC News reaches 418m people globally on average per week, largely through the World Service
No.1
We are the most trusted news provider in the UK and around the world, and also rank first for independence and reliability
43
The BBC has the global insight, expertise and scale to give audiences a truly international news service, currently available in 43 languages, with journalists and supporting staff based worldwide and with bureaux in 64 cities across 54 countries
Carrying the UK’s values and influence around the globe
• The BBC is the most widely recognised British cultural export amongst all demographics around the world and has higher brand recognition than the Premier League, UK films and universities
• The BBC is unmatched internationally in driving favourable impressions of the UK - and BBC users are more likely to think the UK has global influence
• Of influential decision-makers, 76% have heard of BBC News, higher than any other British cultural export – and BBC users are more likely to invest in the UK and have positive perceptions of the UK business environment
• They are also more likely to believe in democratic values than non-users and are more likely to participate in democratic processes such as voting in an election.
A BBC World Service for the future
At a time of global instability and polarisation, the need for the BBC World Service has never been greater. Press freedom has reduced to the worst point in modern history, disinformation is rising sharply and Russia and China are spending an estimated £6-8bn on media annually, significantly outspending our own investment, and gaining international favourability as a result.
But the BBC World Service is well placed to respond. With a long-term sustainable funding solution from the UK government, the BBC has ambitions to provide for more people where there is a pressing need for independent and impartial news, to do more to counter disinformation with its award-winning journalism, and to provide emergency lifeline services delivered in times of urgent need such as those recently provided in Ukraine, Iran and Myanmar.
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