The lecture began by delving into the troubling research and statistics that indicate a severe breakdown in civic society, as fewer and fewer people have strong social connections, strengthened by the clubs and support groups of decades' past.
"Loneliness – or aloneness – used to be an old person thing. Now it's a young person thing," he said. "A lot of young people just became extremely online during the last 15 years, and that spiked during the pandemic."
Rajan argued that the disintegration of a well-connected society has contributed to the extreme, destabilising political polarisation of recent years, as people become less familiar – and therefore, obliged to – the people with whom they share a street, town or country.
Citing a personal example, Rajan said: "When I was a boy, we used to watch endless sitcoms on repeat, as my parents felt the best way to rub along with people was to laugh with them...
He added: "Screen culture can and must once again aim to unite us; to be the water from our common well."
However, if the BBC is to have any hope of doing so, meaningful action must be taken urgently to save it, argued Rajan, who chastised successive governments and culture secretaries for their inaction, besides repeated consultations.
Rajan's comment that the BBC is "screwed" referred specifically to the compounding effect of fewer and fewer people paying the licence fee, which he says spells financial doom if it continues at its current rate – no matter how many "savings" are found.
"These cuts are just the beginning; there is worse to come; the finances are much worse than most people even here realise," the broadcaster continued.
Although he declined to say with certainty whether it would succeed, Rajan placed his support behind an idea he noticed had bipartisan support spanning from the likes of Conservative politician John Redwood to current culture secretary, Labour's Lisa Nandy MP.
Rajan said: "The BBC is running adverts saying 'the BBC belongs to all of us'. Under the Mutual model, it actually would belong to all of us.
View oEmbed on the source websiteRajan finished his argument by noting that Andy Burnham, who recently entered No. 10, is the first UK Prime Minister to represent both the Labour and Co-operative parties, with the concept of Mutuals having a long history with the latter movement.
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