BBC Chief Says Term 'Mainstream Media' Is An 'Assault on Freedom'
Lord Tony Hall says 'progressive erosion of trust in … all those perceived as elite'
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The head of the BBC has claimed that the use of terms like “mainstream media” and the increasing distrust in “the establishment” are an “assault on freedom of expression."
Lord Tony Hall, who is the director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the effects of globalization had ignited a “progressive erosion of trust in … all those perceived as expert or elite.”
Hall complained that journalism was under attack from “a crisis of faith in our traditional institutions.”
Speaking at the House of Lords this week, Hall reminisced of “an age when … journalists could command the attention and respect of a whole country with the quality of their craft.”
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He then alleged that establishment reporters now face “attempts to target, troll [and] intimidate them," as well as “constant anonymous threats online, simply for reporting on opinions that others might not want to hear."
Hall added, “the phrase ‘mainstream media’ is now a term of abuse."
He then admitted he was “really worried” about the escalating skepticism of the public towards what he terms as “traditional journalism."
Hall insisted that developments amounted to “more than an attack on journalists. [They amount] to a campaign to denigrate their craft”.
In a what seemed to be a subtle jab at independent media, hall said that major forces which “feed into this atmosphere” include a global rise in “disinformation” along with the misuse of “fake news.”
“It still felt to many of us like an act of desperation to dismiss palpably accurate stories from some of America’s most reliable media as being complete fabrications. But it worked. And now the ‘fake news’ tag is used worldwide,” Hall complained.
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Russia
“the weapon of choice for repressive regimes everywhere … Russia is the obvious example”, he contended, insisting that the Kremlin works “tirelessly” to “flood the world with stories, the more confusing and contradictory the better."
Hall claimed the Russians use tactics such as “sarcasm and mockery” to fuel “mass disbelief” and “encourage people to abandon the very idea of ‘truth.’”
“Fake news is now the poison in the bloodstream of our societies — destabilizing democracy and undermining trust in institutions and the rule of law,” maintained Lord Hall.
In August 2018, a campaign calling out the BBC's biased propaganda as Brtish citizens protested their disdain with broadcaster’s prejudice with he hashtag #BBCswitchoff.
The campaign, which was organized to bring awareness to the publically funded broadcaster’s extreme propaganda, began at 6 pm to coincide with the TV station’s news program.
Thousands of Britains joined the protest against mainstream media outlet BBC, as #BBCswitchoff became the top trending hashtag in the UK Thursday evening.
