Theroux says there may be campaigning for ‘Brexit from licence fee’
L
ouis Theroux feels there’s a “vested interest” by some media shops for a “Brexit from the licence fee”.
On Wednesday, in the course of the annual MacTaggart lecture on the Edinburgh Television Festival, the broadcaster and documentary-maker stated he believes the BBC is in a “no-win” state of affairs of attempting to “avoid offence” and at risk of avoiding vital topics in a bid to “play it safe”.
Reflecting on his speech the subsequent day, Theroux stated he thinks legacy media shops will be capable to compete in opposition to platforms like YouTube, that are unregulated by teams like Ofcom.
He stated: “It’s possible that the licence fee is on a managed decline… There is vested interest, lobbying and active campaigning for a Brexit from the licence fee.”
The presenter added: “It’s up to us to spread the word to advocate the idea of public service broadcasting.”
If we don’t expose these opinions which might be poisonous to some sort of scrutiny, it’s nearly similar to having a compromised immune system
Theroux stated he’s a fan of streaming platforms however they don’t provide “good” news protection.
“I think the future is hopeful if we remain hopeful and positive,” he added.
Theroux, who is thought for his documentaries exploring fringe teams of society, additionally stated he thinks not creating initiatives wanting into controversial figures is “futile” and is “almost comparable to having a compromised immune system”.
Reflecting on why he feels it’s nonetheless vital to show people like Nick Fuentes, an web character who has promoted white supremacist beliefs, he stated: “The most obvious and immediate reason is that Fuentes already has a profile so the idea of not platforming him or ignoring him is futile.”
He added: “We have no choice, really. The world has changed so much. There are so many outlets. The idea of putting your head in the sand and saying, ‘Well, we’re just going to curate a safe space where none of that is addressed’… it’s not realistic.”
The documentarian stated Fuentes is a “fascinating, very troubling individual” as he has a “veneer of plausibility” however outputs “his most poisonous content” on Donald Trump’s platform Truth Social to his mass of followers.
He certified his level by saying he doesn’t really feel people like Fuentes needs to be placed on Graham Norton the place they’re unmediated and no context is offered, however by way of programmes or documentaries the place output may be framed rigorously.
“If we don’t expose those opinions that are toxic to some kind of scrutiny, it’s almost comparable to having a compromised immune system”, he stated.