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The BBC is close to naming a new director of news after a months-long search that has reached final interviews this week, Deadline reports. The role became vacant when Deborah Turness resigned last November following a high-profile editorial controversy.
Who’s on the shortlist
Insiders say four candidates remain under consideration. The list reportedly includes Jonathan Munro, who has been serving as acting head of BBC News since Turness’s departure, and Esme Wren, currently editor of Channel 4 News, according to industry sources.
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Two other women are thought to be among the final four: Rachel Jupp, the BBC’s director of news documentaries and long-form journalism, and Rhuanedd Richards, the corporation’s interim director of nations. BBC Scotland director Hayley Valentine is not believed to be in contention.
Munro, Wren, Jupp and Richards were contacted for comment. The BBC declined to comment on the recruitment process, which has been under way for nearly three months. Matt Brittin, the director general, is reported to be preparing to announce a decision imminently.
Late changes remain possible
Sources cautioned that senior hires can still produce surprises. The last time the BBC recruited a news chief, Turness initially ruled herself out before accepting the job after being persuaded by then director general Tim Davie.
External candidates who stepped back
The search has not been straightforward. Several high-profile executives reportedly chose to stay put rather than take on the intense scrutiny that comes with running the BBC’s newsroom.
Those named as having removed themselves from contention include David Rhodes, the executive chairman of Sky News. Separately, Louisa Compton was promoted to director of news, digital and audience trust at Channel 4 amid speculation she might apply. David Merritt, a senior executive editor at Bloomberg, held discussions but ultimately remained at his current employer.
What the next director will inherit
The incoming director will take charge of a newsroom attempting to accelerate digital storytelling while managing shrinking resources and low morale. In June, BBC News announced plans to cancel programs such as Radio 4’s The World Tonight to deliver the first £25 million of savings; the division still needs to identify another £25 million in the coming months.
Editorial controversies have also shadowed the unit. The corporation withdrew the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone after concerns over its narrator’s connections, and was rocked by a Panorama programme about Donald Trump that was later criticised for misleading edits. That episode precipitated Turness’s resignation and led to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. president seeking $10 billion, which the BBC is contesting in Florida.
Role, reporting lines and expectations
The director of news will report to Matt Brittin and work closely with deputy director general Rhodri Talfan Davies. Turness’s salary in the role was reported as up to £450,000.
The job advertisement for the post states the director must sustain and enhance BBC News’s reputation for trusted journalism, uphold editorial standards and impartiality across platforms, and secure broad reach and relevance for UK audiences while strengthening reputation and sustainable revenue globally.
