this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2025
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The BBC is launching a paywall in the US (www.niemanlab.org)
submitted 20 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) by Pro@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
43 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Time to unfollow them, I guess.

all 44 comments
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[–] whatevercomeon@lemmy.world 21 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

The UK obviously is no longer a superpower. But the BBC is the cornerstone of the UKs modern global soft power projection. Broadcasting it free projects the UK government’s voice around the world directly into homes, influencing world policy to their liking.

Putting a paywall in the US sends a message that they feel it is not needed or not effective in the US market.

It also mirrors what paid sport broadcasting in the UK has done. Paywall it for short term gain, at the expense of long term viewership growth. The UK is struggling.

[–] raltoid@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Paywall it for short term gain, at the expense of long term viewership growth.

Making a company worse for increased short term revenue, at the cost of customer retention, product quality, etc. causing increased turnover which further compounds all the other steps. Is a common issue among all modern companies.

In short, there was a shift in MBA education a while back that includes a bunch of lies-by-omission and misrepresented data. Meaning that the only thing on their mind when they graduate, is to please investors at any all costs, including company longevity.

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 14 points 15 hours ago

As a Canadian, I'd be upset if we got paywalled. The BBC is where I go to for trusted news on international concerns.

Understandable, but I'd still be upset.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 39 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Given that I'm stateside, this makes me sad. But given that they are funded by UK taxpayers, this is probably the right move.

Of course, that's just one less outlet for USA citizens to get accurate journalism (better than here, anyway) about what's happening in our country. Hope Al Jazeera doesn't follow suit.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 23 points 16 hours ago

Although, you could also argue that those taxes pay for informing and influencing citizens of foreign nations.

America’s media ecosystem is dominated by Fox, Sinclair, and other state party media players. There is a strategic benefit to having a media outlet that doesn’t run through the state media filter.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 53 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Gotta get that TV loicense.

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 17 points 19 hours ago

I suppose the TV licence in the UK is a sort of paywall, even if it is made of swiss cheese and enforced by folk with all the legal standing of Larry the Head Mouser or whatever moggy it is now.

I pay it, but I'm loathed to now. Not because I watch any live TV or BBC programming, but because I use the BBC News site a metric fucktonne and I suppose I justify it to myself as funding the BBC News department rather than Graham Norton's salary.

Maybe I'll fuck it off though. I do fancy a letter war with Capita or whoever managed the enforcement these days.

[–] obinice@lemmy.world 14 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

Makes sense, we pay our licence fee for our public service, why should people abroad get for free what we have to pay for?

I was happy with the current arrangement of adverts supporting the service use abroad, but if it has to migrate to a subscription model to meet modern demands then that's the way it is.

I wouldn't go to another country and ask them to make one of their government's national public services free for me to use, after all.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 20 points 17 hours ago

The world service was always free because it’s a propaganda platform that promotes Britain and British values abroad. I guess they are content just to push Reform propaganda to a domestic audience from now on.

[–] ADTJ@feddit.uk 5 points 14 hours ago

BBC shows ads on some foreign services, but not in the UK

[–] crapwittyname@lemm.ee 1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Nah mate. Information is free the second it leaves its source. Any attempt to curtail it after then is just a cunts trick.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 0 points 4 hours ago

I imagine you wouldn't be saying this if it was your work being used.

If you went through the painstaking effort or writing a book or something, I imagine you'd be pretty unhappy if nobody wanted to reimburse you, and you were called a cunt for wanting to be paid for your labour.

[–] NameTaken@lemmy.world 28 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

It seems just for people in the US. So hopefully the rest of us will be fine.

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 25 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (2 children)

I love the US defaultism even when they’re talking about another country’s public news station

(edit: the title originally just said it was adding a paywall without mention of any country)

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

It does actually seem like it's only the US for now

Unless I've misunderstood your comment

BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2vgkn7w10o

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 5 points 17 hours ago

I asked OP to update the title in another comment which they did (and appreciate) but it made this comment of mine confusing 😅. The original title didn’t have any mention of which country. It just said they were adding a paywall

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

What's the defaultism here?

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 6 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

The original title just said something like “BBC is now paywalled” making it sound like it applied to more than 1 of the 195 (worldometers.info recognised) countries in the world.

I’m not British but it’d be pretty alarming to hear that the BBC was adding a paywall that applied to the British if I was British

[–] errer@lemmy.world 8 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Honestly this sucks balls for the US. One more credible news source made less accessible.

[–] BeBopaLula@piefed.ca 2 points 17 hours ago

Would not be surprised if it was not Thiel and gang ensuring only the billionaires newspapers are read by all us plebes by paying BBC to go paywall.

[–] alexc@lemmy.world 21 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

And just at a time when the US really needs a decent news service…

I am sure this was discussed at the Starmer - Trump talks as a way to further isolate Americans from the truth.

I guess it’s just Al-Jazeera now…

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 hour ago

Decent News Service? The BBC is at best problematic.

[–] tormeh@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Exactly this. Isn't the point of the BBC world service to communicate/propagandise the British view of what's happening in the world to other countries? Imagine Russia Today adding a paywall? It's counter to the entire point! I think you may be on to something about this being a concession to Trump.

[–] alexc@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago

Actually, the World Service will remain accessible, but that’s also not where most people go these days.

[–] knacht1@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago

Al Bawaba used to do well also ...

[–] Humanius@lemmy.world 17 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

So that sounds to me that Americans should use a VPN to pretend they are accessing the website from Europe

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 4 points 16 hours ago

Seems like a high bar for checking the news. I'll just switch to a different news outlet.

Shame to further isolate the US towards the largely crappy intranational journalism options.

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 12 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

BBC announced it’s introducing a paywall for consumers in the U.S

It seems like it’s only for the US? If that’s true can you update the title OP

[–] Pro@programming.dev 5 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

🌹Done🌹

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 2 points 18 hours ago

Awesome thanks! 😊

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

They're not that great anyway. They're barely holding on to my personal list of reliable sources. If I really need something, there are other places to go. Good luck BBC.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Any recommendations for a good replacement? I check BBC world on the daily but will be stopping as soon as this kicks in.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

The Guardian isn't horrible, but not perfect. Reuters, if you squint, is pretty good 3/4 of the time. Propublica is great for investigative journalism. All of them have horrible headline writers at least half the time. Politico isn't worth checking, but every month or so, you might miss something. It's a mixed bag basically, so you have to check out a few.

I try to post the "real" stuff (not what trump says, but what he and the republicans are doing) on politics at sh.itjust.works on weekdays. It's US based and I'm anti-right.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 1 points 12 hours ago

Thanks. Guardian might not be a bad alternative to try BTW, Sh.itjust.works isn't US based.

[–] j0ester@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago

Guess I’ll be using VPN

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I know there’s rights issues and all but if they made a real BBC streaming service with their back catalog and every David Attenborough special in 4K, it’d be one thing but Americans are inundated with news and streaming services. I pay for my local newspaper’s digital site — mostly because if I don’t, who will? But even The NY Times has to have recipes and word games to keep people subscribed. Why would anyone pay more than a dollar a month or something for BBC News?

The U.S. seems like an odd place to trial this. It’s the most competitive media market in the world and we’re all already sick of being asked to pay for 40 different services. In conclusion:🏴‍☠️

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

i mean they basically have that with britbox

[–] mintiefresh@piefed.social 3 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Feels like subscriptions are inevitable for everything these days.

[–] NENathaniel@lemmy.ca 1 points 19 hours ago

Well to be fair, a perpetual license for media/news wouldn't make sense

[–] stsquad@lemmy.ml 2 points 18 hours ago

Seems fair enough, these things cost money and the #BBC is in a race to diversify it's income in preparation for the license fee going away. The dynamic description sounds like they want to preserve the casual visitors experience of an open site.

I get ads on my BBC podcasts when I'm abroad. I assume that's all part of it.