BBC grapples with its top talent approach amid questions around public trust

On the 17th of December last year, Mishal Husain, one of the BBC’s star presenters, signed off her final appearance on The Today Programme with an emotional farewell: ‘Good morning and goodbye.’

Mishal was widely regarded as one of the finest presenters that the BBC has had in recent times. Feared by politicians for her razor-sharp questioning, delivered in RP and a soothing tone, her colleagues and listeners, myself included, lamented her departure.

After stepping away from the Beeb, Mishal recently spoke to Vogue about her upcoming move to Bloomberg. But it was her comments on ego in broadcasting that brought the public service broadcaster back into the headlines.

In response to a question about the arrival of her co-presenters Emma Barnett and Amol Rajan, she took aim at ‘personality-focused journalism [which] doesn’t have to be bombastic’. Mishal then criticised presenters for using the word “I”, given that ‘broadcasting is a team effort.’

Mishal's reflections sit at the heart of a perennial discussion for the BBC, but one that feels particularly pointed at present. How opinionated should a presenter be, given the BBC’s principles of impartiality? They also spoke to a growing trend in media: the growing dominance of ego in broadcast journalism.

Veteran Newsnight anchor Kirsty Wark chimed in with Mishal recently, saying in an interview that ‘we are not the story’ and that presenters’ job was ‘not to editorialise’.

With ego front of mind, it’s therefore notable that an independent report published this week showed that the BBC has prioritised rewarding bullies and “untouchable” stars, and punished those who raised issues due to fears over its reputation.

It found that presenters were found to be “difficult”, having frequently shown behaviour in the “grey zone” of acceptability. While the report found no evidence of a widespread toxic culture, it said the BBC had a minority of staff who behaved unacceptably without repercussions.

Following the report, Samir Shah, the BBC’s chairman, admitted that the corporation still has a small number of powerful stars who can abuse their “position to make life for their colleagues unbearable.”

As a result of the review, the BBC has stated that it is taking action. It will add a range of measures to better manage cases that are raised, including giving training, development, and support for staff.

A similar reflection took place in the not-so-distant past, with similar conclusions. In the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, a report found that BBC bosses were, even 12 years ago, seen as “untouchable” due to their perceived value at the organisation.

This latest report has significance beyond questions of conduct, raising questions about public trust in the BBC and how the organisation retains it. Public trust is intrinsic to its existence, given that its value, and the effective collection of its license fee, follows from this.

As the BBC continues to walk its tightrope of impartiality, the conversation will continue around how its top talent delivers its output. To protect its corporate reputation, the organisation would benefit from transparency about how it is delivering on its recommendations with a clear timeline, and to share its progress. This would help address critics that this latest report is not another ‘Groundhog Day’.