Review of BBC news and current affairs 2019

24 October 2019

A woman reading BBC News on a tablet device.

Providing high-quality, trusted news and current affairs is central to the BBC’s remit.

At a time of highly political and polarised debate, the need for accurate, trustworthy and robust journalism is as important as it has ever been.

In March, we launched an in-depth review of BBC news and current affairs, putting audiences at the heart of our research. Over the spring and summer, we gathered views from people across the United Kingdom. We commissioned research to give us a detailed insight into how people get their news, and we looked at the range and depth the BBC offers compared to other news providers.

As part of our extensive research programme, we asked people in detail about their news habits, what matters to them about the news and current affairs they watch, listen to and read, as well as the role that BBC news and current affairs play in their lives. To help inform our work, we also met with stakeholders across the UK, including broadcasters, newspaper groups, media journalists, professional bodies and academics.

You can read our full report, range of research and view two short video clips using the links below.

Full report

Review of BBC news and current affairs (PDF, 3.0 MB)

Adolygiad o newyddion a materion cyfoes y BBC (PDF, 4.0 MB)

How representative is BBC News of life in the UK?

How does social media influence how people discover news?

Research documents

Research conducted as part of our review of BBC News. Over the course of the review we carried out qualitative workshops, content analysis, social media analysis, deep-dive news journey research and smartphone usage analysis.

Qualitative workshops

BBC News & Current Affairs Review: PwC Research – summary (PDF, 1.3 MB)

BBC News & Current Affairs Review: PwC Research – full report (PDF, 4.4 MB)

Content analysis

The Range and Depth of BBC News and Current Affairs: A Content Analysis by Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University – summary (PDF, 316.1 KB)

The Range and Depth of BBC News and Current Affairs: A Content Analysis by Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University – full report (PDF, 1.7 MB)

Social media analysis

BBC News: A social media intelligence study – summary (PDF, 2.2 MB)

BBC News: A social media intelligence study – full report (PDF, 2.0 MB)

Deep-dive news journey research

BBC News and Current Affairs review: Observing real news behaviours – summary (PDF, 2.6 MB)

BBC News and Current Affairs review: Observing real news behaviours – full report (PDF, 12.1 MB)

Smartphone usage analysis

BBC News Review: Smartphone News Journeys – summary (PDF, 753.1 KB)

BBC News Review: Understanding GB Smartphone News Consumers – full report (PDF, 4.3 MB)

News consumption survey

News consumption survey

Accessible versions of all reports will appear within the next ten working days.