World Service cuts yet another blow to journalism, says NUJ
The BBC has today announced its plans to make £6m in savings within the World Service to close the shortfall caused by the freezing of the licence fee.
Despite receiving additional funding from government in the Autumn, the BBC states immense pressures including changing audience habits and digital upkeep will mean an overall net loss of 130 posts including roles in the UK.
Cuts are forecast to impact several teams including BBC Monitoring and World Service English with language teams to increase focus on digital output. The NUJ is urging engagement with the union as part of consultation processes and opposes compulsory redundancies. We note the broadcaster aims to meet its aims through voluntary redundancies where possible.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:
“Cuts announced today serve as yet another blow to journalists at the BBC. Proposals will see the loss of talented and experienced journalists committed to the unrivalled journalism produced by the World Service and relied upon by countries globally. The freezing of the licence fee has had a profound impact still felt acutely today; we need a commitment from government to provide long-term sustainable funding that allows the provision by teams including over 40 language services to thrive.
“It is wrong journalists are once more bearing the brunt of changes at a time when the BBC's journalism and soft power is needed more than ever. As we support members impacted by cuts, we urge the BBC to engage meaningfully with us to do all it can to protect jobs."