The BBC is more important than ever despite the diversity

It is a frustrating move for the man in 10 Downing Street to respond to his own wounds by trying to destroy the BBC, the country’s most respected institution on a global scale. This is what it meant to end the canon in 2027, he suggested Nadine DorisMinister of Culture. The government rebelled against this, but the mixture of selfishness and spite can do much harm. You can still do it.

Many argue that the case for a well-funded public broadcasting service is undermined by the proliferation of new media. Others say the BBC is biased. Some carry both. They are wrong, either way.

Above all, the arguments for public service broadcasting are becoming more and more powerful in the age of the proliferation of new media and news services, not less. Public service broadcasting offers three essential goods: a common news base, an institution capable of holding powerful people to account, and an abundance of cultural goods. Some of them are of global importance: in the age of fake news coming from Moscow and other places, the BBC World Service It is vital.

According to the latest digital news report from Reuters Institute From Oxford, News BBC They have the broadest reach of any UK news organization, both offline (TV, radio and print) and online. It is also the most trusted news brand. Of the 46 countries covered in the report, Americans, who have the most divided and ideologically divided news media, are the least confident in their news. This is one of the main causes and symptoms of the divisions that now threaten America’s democracy.

Without reliable information, democracy sinks. Training and experience are needed to generate that information. This, in turn, depends on institutions with embedded histories and values. Conservatives must understand this. the BBC It’s also a bargain, costing just 0.2 percent of GDP.

Many on the conservative right complain about the party’s lack of neutrality BBC, especially with regard to Britain’s exit from the European Union. I agree, although it’s in reverse: select BBC Giving equal time to the ridiculous arguments of the pro-Brexit (the pro-Brexit people) and the valid arguments of the rest (the pro-remain people) was fatal. The fact that almost everyone agrees that BBC A failure in the basic mission of neutrality indicates that he succeeded. Commitment to neutrality in a time of deep divisions is unacceptable to all. In fact, the BBC I have done more to turn the referendum into a national debate, however flawed it may be, than any other institution. I admit it, although I hate the result.

As the late US Senator said, Daniel Patrick Moynihan: “You have a right to your opinion, but not to your facts.” the BBC It has helped preserve the foundations of our most contentious national debates indeed. The existence of respectable public service broadcast networks makes it difficult for politicians to fabricate facts. This is something you lack I. And the more divided countries are, the more important this becomes.

the flow And other innovations transformed the environment. the BBC You must adapt to this change; However, as noted in the Commons Select Committee Report on the Future of Public Service Broadcasting, published last year, “In 2019, public service broadcasters delivered nearly 32,000 hours of content originating from United kingdom, While Netflix s Amazon President Combined, they saved 164 hours.” King Netflix recognize the role of BBC In “Build a profile United kingdom creatively.” BBC It plays a huge role in the development of our modern culture. Does anyone imagine that something very productive could replace it?

It is reasonable to ask whether BBC It must be financed in another way. There are other options, notably a household tax, as used in Germany. Fees associated with the municipal tax or even in proportion to income, which is rate determined over the next few years, can also be an option.

The basic principles still apply. We must preserve BBC As an independently funded public service without political control. It should be an enduring institution and embody the values ​​that it has maintained for a century and that have made it admired and respected around the world. As the House of Commons committee stated, “Public service broadcasters are a vital tool against disinformation in the age of social media, with accurate, reliable and trustworthy news.”

In our age of division, conspiracy theories and lies, it was BBC It is more important than ever. Changes must be made carefully and on a multilateral basis. BBC belongs to everyone. The government is only the temporary administrator. Your duty is to act accordingly.