Wednesday, August 27, 2003



Tories want to close down the Beeb

Well, its website anyway. They don't see why commercial news agencies (most of whom happen to be owned by their friend Mr Murdoch) should have to compete with a publicly funded one.

As a compulsive user of news.bbc.co.uk, I think that that competition is precisely the point. Publicly-funded, high quality news organisations such as the BBC raise the bar for everybody else, and through this provide the sort of robust and watchful media environment necessary for a modern democracy. They also make it more difficult for wealthy media owners to manipulate public opinion to their advantage - which is precisely why Murdoch wants to get rid of them.

Anyway, if you'd like to do your bit to save the BBC, why not email John Whittingdale (the Shadow Media Secretary and chief agitator for eliminating the website) and let him know?

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