Several thousand members of staff at the BBC have paid for and signed an advertisement mourning the departure of the Director General, Greg Dyke.
It appears in this morning's Daily Telegraph under the heading 'The Independence of the BBC'.
The text says Mr Dyke stood for brave, independent and rigorous journalism.
The signatories say the BBC should not step back from its determination to investigate the facts.
It follows yesterday's resignation of BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan who started the row after he broadcast an item alleging that Tony Blair's government had exaggerated the threat from Saddam Hussein.
