The BBC has been told it should look to the success of Buzzfeed as it attempts to double its a global audience to 500m by 2022.

Director of news and current affairs James Harding commissioned a report by Sir Howard Stringer last December. The former chief executive of Sony was reported this month to be a favourite to replace Lord Patten as chairman of the BBC Trust.

As well as suggesting the BBC should consider native advertising and an expansion into North Korea, the report, published today, recommends that the corporation should take a digital-first approach in all countries other than the UK.