Tim Davie: People say the BBC has ‘no God-given right to exist’. As its boss, I couldn’t agree more

As director general of the corporation, you would expect me to make a case for the importance of strong, independent institutions, writes Tim Davie – but while we have a duty to resist the assaults on facts and free reporting, we can’t allow institutions like the BBC to be weaponised

Tim Davie: ‘We can only ever be as important and relevant as the positive impact we have on society’ (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire)

What holds together strong societies and healthy democracies? Today, I find more and more conversations are gravitating towards the growing threats to the very fabric of what makes a place like the UK such a civilised place to live.

As geopolitical tensions rise and technology rapidly reshapes our world, there is a palpable sense that we are going to have to fight to preserve what we value. Solutions require longer-term choices that stretch well beyond any single political cycle. They mean not only letting the market lead the way but making deliberate choices to create the society we want.

For the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, three main forces bind together successful democracies: strong institutions, shared stories, and social capital. Haidt argues that the current media landscape has weakened all three. It erodes social cohesion and rewards the divisive and inflammatory. It weakens political systems that are based on compromise.