This episode is brought to you by the MA in International Studies at DePaul University,

which draws on critical theory and history to provide a broad education.

Students on the course train to become academics and activists.

They carry out independent research and work with faculty to complete a large multimedia

or written project.

You can visit last.dePaul.edu for more information.

Hello, you're very welcome to Long Reads, a Jacquin podcast where we look in depth at

political topics and thinkers.

My name's Daniel Finn and the features editor here at Jacquin and I'll be presenting

the show.

No broadcaster in the world today can rival the cultural prestige of Britain's BBC.

From nature documentaries to period drama, its programmes are watched by a global audience.

In Britain itself, the news reporting of the BBC is by far the most trusted source of

information about current affairs.

But the company that established a template for public service broadcasting has come under

aggressive scrutiny in recent years.

Critics have accused the BBC of using its reputation to peddle propaganda.

Now, the Conservative government wants to scrap the funding model that has sustained it

for the last century.

Our guest today is Tom Mills.

He's a lecturer in sociology at Austin University and the author of the BBC, Midth of a Public

Service.

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