Channel 4 boss calls for TV industry to unite against profit-seeking ‘tech titans’
Channel 4 boss calls for TV industry to unite against profit-seeking ‘tech titans’
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Alex Mahon accuses firms such as TikTok, Meta and YouTube of ‘wanton abandonment of the pursuit of truth’. The head of Channel 4 has called on the television industry to unite to battle the “wanton abandonment of the pursuit of truth” by “tech titans” seeking profits.
Alex Mahon said tech giants are so “hellbent” on making money from “what they deem to be free speech that they are perfectly happy to eradicate truth and facts along the way”. Following a survey carried out by the broadcaster that claimed over half of generation Z think the UK would be better under a dictator and 45% of young men agree that “when it comes to giving women equal rights, things have gone far enough,” Mahon said: “These are massive issues which we ignore at our peril.”.
Speaking at a Royal Television Society event to launch Channel 4’s report Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust, Mahon said gen Z “curate their own understanding of ‘the truth’ in ways that exacerbate a gender division and undermine the value of democracy.
“There is clear evidence of democratic disengagement and an increasing shift towards authoritarianism already. Among those aged 13 to 27 in the UK, we found, shockingly, that 52% say they think the UK would be better with a strong leader, unfettered by parliament and elections.”.
