One word in outgoing BBC boss Tim Davie’s statement explains not just his resignation, but the political reality for media leaders in 2025: “Febrile.”
To save you from Googling, Dictionary.com defines “febrile” as “a more formal way of saying feverish — having a fever.”
Arguments over the BBC in recent days have certainly been fevered, but then again, those arguments are never-ending, owing to the broadcaster’s immense power and unique place in British public life.
As a result, the job of BBC director general — though certainly prestigious —is also relentless and thankless. The current controversy over a misleading edit to a 2024 documentary about President Donald Trump illustrates the dynamic perfectly.
In a vacuum, the more-than-a-year-old misstep by unnamed producers would not cause the very top heads of the organization to roll.
But in a politically poisonous atmosphere with near-daily disputes over coverage of Israel’s war in Gaza; the e
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