BBC Science Focus
UK left-center, pro-science
Background
The magazine launched in December 1992 as Focus, initially published by the German firm Gruner + Jahr (G+J) in the UK. In 2005, BBC Magazines took over the title and rebranded it BBC Focus, bringing it under the BBC's commercial magazine arm. When the BBC sold its magazines division in 2011, the title passed to Immediate Media Company, a Bristol-based specialist publisher that was later acquired by German media giant Hubert Burda Media in 2017. In 2019 the magazine was again rebranded, becoming BBC Science Focus to more clearly reflect its editorial niche. In October 2023, Our Media Ltd completed a management buyout from Immediate Media, becoming an independent publisher and taking BBC Science Focus with it — though the BBC licence agreement remains in force, requiring the magazine to follow stricter editorial and advertising standards than most commercial titles. Media Bias/Fact Check rates it left-center and highly factual, reflecting its consistent reliance on peer-reviewed science and a strong editorial commitment to climate reporting. Because its subject matter — climate science, research funding, public health — frequently conflicts with the Trump administration's policy positions, its coverage carries an implicit critical tone toward those policies even without direct political commentary.
Sources
- BBC Science Focus – Wikipedia
- BBC Science Focus – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- BBC Science Focus | Our Media
- Our Story | Our Media
- Apple News revenue helped BBC Science Focus double size of team – Press Gazette
- Immediate Media Company – Wikipedia
Profile compiled 2026-08-04; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.