The History and Future of the BBC. A Discussion with Tom Mills

The BBC is one of the most important institutions in the UK; it is also one of the most misunderstood. Despite its claim to be independent and impartial, and the constant accusations of a liberal bias, the BBC has always sided with the elite. Today its operations have been thoroughly commercialised and its management politicised, and it remains largely unaccountable to the public it claims to serve. In recent years it has lurched from one political crisis to another, and neither its leadership, nor the politicians to whom it is ultimately answerable, seem able to articulate a coherent vision for public media in the digital age. What lies behind the failure of the BBC to live up to its promise of independent and impartial journalism? And can this imperial-era broadcaster be transformed into a digital media operation directly accountable to its audiences?

Dr Tom Mills is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Aston University. His academic work combines media and communication and the sociology of elites. Both are concerned with examining powerful organisations and networks and their impact on democracy. He is a former chair of the Media Reform Coalition and is the author of The BBC: Myth of a Public Service, a book which examines the BBC’s relationship with the state and the ways in which the rise of neoliberalism impacted on its organisational structure and culture.