The Reith Lectures is a series of lectures given each year by leading figures of the day. They are commissioned by the BBC and broadcast on BBC Radio. Named after the founder of the BBC, Lord Reith, they began in 1948 with lectures given by Bertrand Russell.
This year’s lectures are being given by the Dutch popular historian and author Rutger Bregman, and he’s run into a spot of bother in his opening lecture.
Bregman’s claim in the lecture that Trump was “the most openly corrupt president in American history” was removed from the lecture’s broadcast, after the BBC sought legal advice.
As he says, it’s a clear case of self-censorship driven by fear of legal action from Trump:
“The truth is that the sentence wasn’t inaccurate – it was removed because of legal fears. And that’s exactly the concern my lecture raises: when institutions start censoring themselves out of fear of those in power.”
Trump’s tantrums and tactics are having a chilling effect on free speech in many areas. The BBC is just the latest organisation to bend the knee.
Lord Reith will be spinning in his grave.
Addendum: This episode of The News Agents covers this story, and also has Bregman giving his view on the situation:
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