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BBC Editorial Guidelines 2025

The Editorial Guidelines set the BBC's editorial values and standards. The guidelines apply to all BBC content wherever in the world it is broadcast or published.

Until then, the 2019 guidelines remain in force:

Download the 2019 Guidelines in English
Download the 2019 Guidelines in Welsh - Argraffu pdf o’r Canllawiau yn Gymraeg
View the guidance notes for the 2019 Editorial Guidelines.

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BBC Editorial Guidelines 2025

The 2025 Editorial Guidelines come into effect on Monday 1 September.

Forewords

Samir Shah, BBC Chair

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General

1: The BBC's Editorial Standards

Introduction

The BBC's Editorial Values

How to use the Guidelines

2: Impartiality

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

3: Accuracy

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

4: Conflicts of Interest

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

5: Harm and Offence

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

6: Fairness

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

7: Privacy

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

8: Crime and Anti-social Behaviour

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

9: Children and Young People as Contributors

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

10: Politics and Public Policy

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

11: Statistics, Polls, Data and Surveys

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

12: War, Terror and Extreme Violence, Disaster and Disorder

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

13: Use of BBC Content after Publication or Broadcast

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

14: Religious Content

Introduction

Principles

Guidelines

15: Independence from Commercial and other External Interests

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

16: External Relationships, including Commercial Relationships, and Financing

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

17: Competitions, Votes and Interactivity

Introduction and Principles

Mandatory Referrals

Guidelines

18: The Law

Introduction and Mandatory Referrals

General

Principal Legal Considerations

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