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| Anti-BBC sentiments are on the rise (Image: The Independent) |
It's difficult to disagree that in an ideal world, we can trust every piece of information received and rely on authoritative figures to hold those who do wrong to account. For decades, pockets of the BBC and police forces across the UK have taken a right battering from the press and politicians for failing to do either of the above, but does this mean we should completely distrust them?
For those who aren't frequent readers of my blog, you'll find that I'm a big supporter of the BBC. And if I witness a crime, I'd be more than happy to report it to the police with the understanding that they'd investigate and take appropriate action. Of course, like any other major organisation, they are drowning in bureaucracy and are rightly held accountable for any cover up, mishandling or incompetence. As I'll emphasise, I wish not diluting some of the horrendous actions some forces or BBC individuals have done before, and no doubt will do in the future. Yet, sadly, as politicians and media commentators spend so much time slamming both at any given opportunity, it's difficult for the broadcaster and police forces to do anything that without them being reminded of past scandals. It's vital that these character assassinations are reduced before the public completely turn their backs on two lifesaving institutions.
So for example, when presenter Emily Maitlis delivered a speech at Edinburgh TV Festival where she spoke about the lengths the UK government would go to intervene in a small number of cases, namely her address on Newsnight regarding an advisor's 'breaking of Covid-19 lockdown rules'. Many cried foul, accusing her of bias against the Conservative Party in some way (as is often the criticism of BBC platforms). Do they not realise it's important to hear experiences of insiders on matters of this great importance? Yes, what Maitlis described in her speech may sound as though the BBC acted like a feared, rogue state media outlet we see in countries like Russia and China, but she's an insider with insight that matters.
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police had been under intense media scrutiny recently, over a small number of officers joining a Macarena dance routine during a local Pride event. How dare they, gasped some columnists, when their jobs are to fight crime, and not let their hair down. Apparently, British policing has 'lost its mind' and are reportedly failing to tackle crimes like burglary.
On Pride, I argue that their actions should be celebrated. I'm sure they'd have been on high alert if there were troubles. There is more to a police force than to tackle crime; who better to portray tolerance and community engagement than those on duty? Unfortunately, not every force has the luxury saw in Lincolnshire. The Notting Hill Carnival over the Bank Holiday weekend saw 31 Metropolitan Police officers injured over the two-day period which 'triggered Hillsborough fears'.
The fact is this; the BBC and every police force can apologise for perceived wrongdoings every day, but it doesn't mean they are failed institutions. The vast majority of their work are good and to the letter. Certainly, some things they've done are unforgiveable, as David Dimbleby is masterfully presenting in a documentary series to mark the BBC's 100th year. And the police are no saints either - there are countless number of examples of corruption and mishandling of sensitive investigations.
Trust in the BBC and police are at record lows and I'd often wondered why and where this has come from. Younger folk in the UK like myself had often been told of the 'good old days' (I'll leave it to you as to the time period of this) - when life was simpler and when people got along with one another. You knew who your 'local bobby' was and you'd have respect towards them, and the BBC had only a small selection of TV channels and radio stations.
But things got complicated from the 1970s with rising inflation and a cost of living crisis. This sounds all too familiar with what we're seeing today. Yet, we never saw anarchy as a result apart from the Winter of Discontent (basically, a load of strike action). I feel it wasn't until the 1980s when things went awry. Very few need reminding about the clashes between communities and police regarding the closure of coal mines and also the poll tax. In addition to this, never had the BBC seen so much interference on its content than in the 80s (as Dimbleby described in the documentary I mentioned above). The trend of public distrust hadn't recovered since, particularly around the Hillsborough coverup, the death of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 and the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005. And the BBC's credibility took a battering over Jimmy Savile and the fallout from Operation Yewtree. In fact, both the police and BBC still hit the headlines over that investigation, as portrayed in a recent Channel 4 documentary.
The theory of the 1980s being the decade when police forces and BBC were starting to be seen as untrustworthy is an interesting one. While then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, took pride in her no-nonsense approach and her need for Britain to be a civilised nation, many of her policies resulted in chaos and disruption. And I fear that it's only going to get worse unless the current UK government promotes the BBC and the police as forces for good. The culture of these institutions is reflected from the top. Thatcher's successors perhaps because felt they didn't need to address this, though they ought to have, because now we're in a position where people don't want to be police officers, as well as choosing other, arguably more biased, broadcasters and unregulated social media platforms to feed their information, leading to more distrust and anger towards those who are there to protect and inform society.
New Prime Minister, Liz Truss, has a big job on her hands (away from the cost of living crisis) to improve our policing and securing the BBC's future. It doesn't help that she wants to emulate Thatcher which won't ease tensions. She has a responsibility to showcase this trust, and not to blow things out of proportion when the police or BBC do wrong. One hopes she can lead a society that respects and trusts important and yet bureaucratic institutions. This will take time, but the process must start today before we see a lawless Britain and further unrest.
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