LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC's head of news James Harding said on Tuesday he was stepping down to start a new media company with a distinct approach to news.
Harding, who joined the BBC in 2013, said his job at the BBC had been rewarding even while the corporation was at times "pedalling in the wind".
"There is some journalism that the BBC, for all its brilliance, can't, and probably shouldn't, do," he said in a statement cited by the BBC.
"And that's what I want to explore: I am going to start a new media company with a distinct approach to the news and a clear point of view."
Harding began his career at the Financial Times and edited The Times from 2006 to 2012. He speaks fluent Mandarin.
His job at the BBC, Britain's publicly funded boadcaster, will end on Jan. 1, 2018.