BBC News, headquartered in Broadcasting House in central London, United Kingdom, is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It is responsible for gathering and broadcasting news and current affairs worldwide. The department is renowned as the world's largest broadcast news organization, producing approximately 120 hours of radio and television output daily, along with online news coverage. With 50 foreign news bureaux and over 250 correspondents globally, BBC News maintains an extensive international presence. Fran Unsworth has served as Director of News and Current Affairs since January 2018.
The department's annual budget exceeds £350 million, employing 3,500 staff, including 2,000 journalists. BBC News operates domestic, global, and online news divisions, housed within Europe's largest live newsroom at Broadcasting House. Parliamentary coverage originates from studios in Millbank, London. Additionally, the BBC English Regions and national news centers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales contribute to regional and local news programming.
The BBC operates as a quasi-autonomous corporation under a royal charter, granting operational independence from the government. The director-general cannot be appointed or dismissed by the government and is required to uphold impartiality in reporting. However, like other major media outlets, BBC News has faced accusations of political bias from various perspectives, both domestically and internationally.