London, UK – December 4, 2025 – In a bold move to address mounting allegations of workplace discrimination, outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie has mandated that every employee, contractor, and contributor complete compulsory e-learning modules on antisemitism and Islamophobia within six months. The announcement, detailed in an all-staff email sent Wednesday, comes as the corporation grapples with accusations from over 200 Jewish staff members who claim the BBC has fostered a hostile environment, ignoring pleas for a formal probe into systemic antisemitism. Davie, 58, who resigned last month amid a fierce row over editorial impartiality, emphasized the initiative as a cornerstone of rebuilding trust, declaring the BBC must serve as “a role model as an inclusive and tolerant workplace.”
“The BBC is for everyone, and we are clear that everyone working here should feel they belong,” Davie wrote in the memo, underscoring the organisation’s zero-tolerance stance on “any form of discrimination, prejudice, or intolerance.” The antisemitism module launched immediately, featuring real-world examples developed in collaboration with the BBC’s Jewish Staff Network, the Antisemitism Policy Trust (APT), and the Community Security Trust (CST). Staff have until June 2025 to finish it, with completion tracked by managers; new hires get 28 days. The Islamophobia module, crafted with input from the BBC’s Salaam network and external experts, is slated for February.
This training rollout is the BBC’s most direct response yet to a cascade of complaints that have plagued the broadcaster since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war. In July 2024, a coalition of 208 Jewish employees, freelancers, and affiliates – including high-profile figures like former BBC executive Danny Cohen and producer Leo Pearlman – penned a scathing open letter to BBC Chair Samir Shah. They decried “systemic problems of antisemitism and bias” in coverage, social media breaches by staff, and a perceived institutional failure to act, warning that “Jews don’t count” when it comes to the BBC’s anti-racism efforts.
The letter’s signatories expressed “anguish and disbelief” at the lack of follow-through, accusing senior management of “gaslighting” by dismissing concerns as isolated rather than structural. “When Jews tell you they feel antisemitism, don’t question it or define it for us,” wrote former Panorama producer Neil Grant. A follow-up letter in November 2024 reiterated the call for a board-led investigation, labelling the BBC’s responses as “words not action.” Attached to Davie’s latest email was the report “Being Jewish and Working at the BBC,” compiling staff stories of the workplace no longer feeling like “a safe space to be Jewish.”
The module’s introduction reinforces Davie’s and Shah’s prior statements: “Antisemitism has no place at the BBC. It is our collective responsibility to make sure we understand what it is and what it can look like.” While acknowledging potentially “upsetting” content, it aims to equip staff with tools to “spot and call out” bias, drawing from CST and APT expertise amid a UK antisemitism surge – incidents rose 147% in 2024 per CST data.
Reactions have been cautiously optimistic. Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg hailed it as a “welcome step” following a Tuesday meeting with Shah, Davie, and executives on training, BBC Arabic reforms, and Middle East coverage. “The BBC finds itself in a moment of challenge and opportunity,” Rosenberg said, urging deeper changes to “restore trust.” The Jewish Leadership Council echoed this, praising the partnership with Jewish networks but stressing eroded community faith in the broadcaster. CST’s Dr. Dave Rich MBE called it an “encouraging” collaboration toward “deeper understanding.” APT CEO Danny Stone MBE emphasized the need for staff to “spot and tackle anti-Jewish racism” in a rising global tide.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, however, struck a more critical tone on X, decrying a “time of national shame” over the BBC’s handling of antisemitism, including its delayed response to antisemitic chants at Glastonbury. Critics like former BBC executive Jeff Z. Klein argue the training, while positive, sidesteps a full investigation demanded by staff.
This comes against a backdrop of seismic upheaval at the BBC. Davie, who joined in 1998 and ascended to director-general in 2020, announced his resignation on November 9, 2025, after five years marked by crises from the Jimmy Savile scandal echoes to post-2023 war coverage rows. The trigger: a leaked memo from ex-adviser Michael Prescott accusing the BBC of “serious and systemic” left-leaning bias in reporting on Donald Trump, Gaza, and transgender issues. Prescott spotlighted a Panorama episode that edited Trump’s January 6 speech to imply a direct incitement to violence – an “error of judgment” per Shah, prompting a BBC apology and a $1 billion lawsuit threat from Trump.
Davie took “ultimate responsibility,” calling allegations of institutional bias “wrong” but acknowledging mistakes. BBC News CEO Deborah Turness resigned simultaneously, insisting claims were unfounded but the controversy damaged the institution she cherished. Insiders dubbed it a “coup” by right-wing critics, amplified by the Telegraph and figures like Boris Johnson, who demanded Davie’s head. Shah, who tried to retain Davie, called it a “sad day,” vowing to champion impartiality. A board member, Shumeet Banerji, quit days later, citing exclusion from bias talks.
The saga has reignited debates on the BBC’s £3.8 billion licence fee funding, with Conservatives like Kemi Badenoch warning of “deeper failures” and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage pushing for “wholesale change.” Labour’s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Davie but urged rebuilding trust, while Lib Dems’ Sir Ed Davey saw opportunity to resist attacks. Amid U.S. election fallout – Trump Jr. blasted “fake news” reporters – the BBC faces parliamentary scrutiny next week.
Davie will stay until a successor is named, likely overseeing charter renewal talks. The training, per BBC Academy sources, extends beyond modules to workshops, with plans for broader anti-discrimination content. Jewish staff hope it signals cultural shift; one anonymous contributor told the Jewish Chronicle: “It’s a start, but without accountability, it’s performative.” As the BBC navigates bias probes and leadership voids, this mandate underscores a pivotal reckoning: can training mend fractures in a polarized era?
