Trust in the BBC has plummeted more over the last decade than in any other British institution apart from the Government, a major study has found.
A staggering half of the public said they trust the corporation less than they did ten years ago after a string of scandals and mounting ‘bias’ accusations.
Just one in ten said they trusted it more, giving it a damning net rating of -40 points.
Only the Government scored worse (-50 points) in the study of public trust in major national institutions, by the Good Growth Foundation think-tank.
In findings which will raise yet more questions about how long the licence fee can last, four in ten said they use the BBC less amid the surge in popularity of streaming giants such as Netflix.
Less than one in five (17 per cent) said they use it more than a decade ago.
And of those tuning out, four in ten said it was because of ‘declining content quality’, suggesting growing numbers believe the licence fee – which will surge to £180 a year from next month – is not worth the price.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of respondents said they preferred content on streaming services such as Netflix, while almost a third (29 per cent) cited ‘too much repetition’ on the corporation’s platforms.
The BBC has been at the centre of a number of fiascos which have damaged public trust, including how it dealt with the Huw Edwards scandal
The BBC was forced to apologise to US President Donald Trump last year over a 2024 Panorama programme, which sparked renewed ‘bias’ accusations.
Respondents also said they believed the BBC was becoming less culturally relevant amid accusations it overly represents some communities and minorities.
More than a third (39 per cent) said it has less cultural influence than ten years ago, with just 20 per cent saying it has more – a net score of −19 per cent.
By comparison, Netflix recorded a net +26 per cent score. This was the largest positive shift among the institutions tested by researchers.
It comes after a string of scandals which have engulfed the BBC in recent years, including criticism over how it dealt with the Huw Edwards fiasco in relation to the veteran newsreader’s conviction for possessing indecent images of children.
Respondents to the survey also cited the BBC’s breach of editorial guidelines after it emerged it used the 13-year-old son of a Hamas official to narrate a Gaza documentary without initially telling audiences, sparking accusation of anti-Israel ‘bias’.
Another debacle cited was the corporation’s splicing of a speech by US President Donald Trump which the BBC later admitted gave ‘the mistaken impression’ he ‘had made a direct call for violent action’ ahead of the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
The BBC was later forced to apologise to Mr Trump over the 2024 Panorama programme, which sparked renewed ‘bias’ accusations.
The research found trust had plummeted in several national institutions and sectors.
Large businesses scored -23 percentage points, followed by The Civil Service (-22) and the NHS (-12).
The British Army was the only institution the public trusted more than a decade ago (+2per cent).
But in better news for the BBC, trust in its news channels remained strong.
Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) said they trust BBC News compared to 29 per cent who distrust it (net +36per cent).
BBC News was the second most trusted news organisation, after ITV.
And two-thirds (65 per cent) said it was important the UK has an independent public service broadcaster.
This included a net +49per cent among Reform UK voters, the group most hostile to the BBC on every other measure. At the 2024 general election, Nigel Farage’s insurgent party vowed to scrap the licence fee.
Director of strategy for The Good Growth Foundation, Louisa Dollimore, said: ‘The BBC does have a significant task when it comes to rebuilding trust but it can get there.
‘However, in order to do so, it needs to look beyond the content it produces.
‘To do this, it needs not to just nurture creative talent and skills across the country and embrace the changing media landscape, but it also needs to ensure communities everywhere – especially in those parts of the country that too often feel neglected – see themselves reflected on screen and on the airwaves.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The BBC is used by 94 per cent of UK adults on average per month and is the number one brand for media in the UK.
‘BBC News is also the most trusted source of news in the UK and internationally.
‘Our recent questionnaire of 870,000 account holders showed strong support for the BBC’s role, with 83 per cent saying it is important that our mission to inform, educate and entertain continues.’
GGF Insights polled 2,000 adults last month (FEB).
