Congratulations to PMA board member Fran Unsworth on her new role.

The role is arguably one of the biggest and most demanding in international journalism. As Director, Fran will oversee the BBC’s news output from an editorial and managerial perspective.

However, editorial will not be the only task faced by Fran. As a public organisation the Director of News will also need to ensure that all decision making and finances are accountable and that news output sits in line with the pillars of public service broadcasting.

This means Fran will also sit on the BBC’s Executive Committee and will oversee the BBC’s News and Current Affairs Programming.

Fran is currently Director of the BBC World Service Group, through which she leads the BBC World Service, BBC World News, BBC.com/news and BBC Monitoring. During her time in this role, Fran has overseen the biggest expansion of the World Service since the 1940’s, with twelve new languages including Korean and Pidgin.

Speaking to the BBC about her appointment, Fran said: “I am delighted to lead BBC News and Current Affairs.

“We are living through a period of significant change at home and abroad. In a complex world, the BBC’s journalism matters more than ever.

“I am proud to lead a team of such dedicated and talented people.”

The Public Media Alliance congratulates Fran on her appointment. Her depth of experience and knowledge of international media will be invaluable for this role and the BBC in an increasingly globalised media landscape.