The former Shadow Chancellor on Strictly Come Dancing. Picture by: Ian West / PA Wire/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.A study released in August by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) revealed the importance of public service media to a healthy democracy. According to the study, countries with stronger public service media have a high degree of press freedom, higher voter turnout than in other countries with weaker public service media, lower levels of right-wing extremism and better control of corruption. While we can’t say these trends are caused by public service media, the study does show how these factors are connected – and therefore how important public service media is for a well-functioning public sphere.
The BBC describes itself as the world's leading public service broadcaster. And while the average Brit might associate the BBC with flagship shows like Strictly Come Dancing, or exemplary sports coverage, or Christmas adaptations of Victorian literature, the EBU study clearly shows that the BBC’s role in British society is deeper and more profound than that – and its responsibility towards the British public is greater than that of broadcasters in the private sector. The BBC is an extension of British democracy.
So what does this responsibility mean for the BBC at a time when the country is deeply divided? According to a recent study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the EU referendum essentially revealed two nations, separated along economic, educational and social lines. Chief Executive Julia Unwin argues that the study should “act as a beacon for politicians who often talk about representing the concerns of ordinary people.”
