BBC boss tells India staff to report without fear

LONDON: The BBC will not be put off from reporting without fear or favour, its Director-General Tim Davie has said in an email to staff in India.

It follows searches at BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai by tax officials. Davie thanked staff for their courage and said nothing was more important than reporting impartially.

The BBC, which is co-operating with the investigation, recently aired a documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India’s government called it “hostile propaganda” and attempted to block it being aired domestically.

Davie said the BBC would help staff do their jobs effectively and safely. “Nothing is more important than our ability to report without fear or favour,” he said in the email. “Our duty to our audiences around the world is to pursue the facts through independent and impartial journalism, and to produce and distribute the very best creative content.