No. I belive all democracies need a public funded national broadcaster. This has the best chance of providing high factual, unbiased news. This is not to say I am right/left or middle ground on my personal politics, merely that I believe it is a model that is in a democratic society's best interests.
The BBC as a broadcaster is unusually well respected globally and for the most provides reliable news. This has made it effective, thus far, in countering efforts to fragment, radicalise and reject it from the media information space.
If UK politics were to go further down the US path of extreme right wing polarisation, trending towards civil unrest, that would not be good for there UK in my view.
The BBC has apologised for this editing decision on the Trump programme it broadcasted. In the overall context of its proven high factual, low bias, well regarded and for the most part highly trusted global reputation, this editing decision does not render it corrupt and of no value. Thats is an irrational, over the top, throw the bay out of the bath water reaction in my view. It has been whipped up to such a storm as to now empower Trump and his fellow travellers in UK right wing politics to portray the BBC as irredeemably corrupt and sue for defamation. There is insufficient evidence to support this allegation.
The frenzy is out of proportion to the offence but consistent with the long standing vendetta against the BBC and the licence fee. The BBC is a target for rival news organisations that resent its unique status and privileged funding. The licence fee funded model is threatening to the radical right as an example of a mutually funded public good. Thy4 will pounce on every single mistake, to editorial standards they do not aspire to or achieve themselves.
The BBC's efforts to avoid political partisanship, imperfectly realised but sincere, ironically results in a vulnerability BBC's detractors exploit. It is impossible in such a global, huge organisation to get editorial decisions perfect all the time, only aspire to highest levels. Every time the BBC gets something wrong it beats itself up when exposed to a misdemeanour. Thus a trusted news source, more trusted that Trump, more trusted than other news outlets for the majority of the time, more trusted than political detractors currently wading in (e.g Boris, Farage et al) is forced to defend its trustworthiness.
I respect and accept those who are up in arms about this particular BBC editing decision. However if the UK currently public funded national broadcaster, the BBC, is not there a dangerous vacuum is created. I suggest that will be more politically biased, less factually correct, more corrupt and, as currently in the US.
If defunded, customers will still need to pay a connection fee. The loss and risks is too great in my view.
