“He is more interesting than his public persona, isn’t he?” said the BBC’s Media Editor, Amol Rajan (pictured), to a reception of roaring Hay laughter in the Good Energy Stage tent today. In his hour-long chat with the current Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Matt Hancock, Rajan touched on a number of topics currently dominating the headlines.
Despite the inevitable pessimism synonymous with the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, Hancock remained positive that policy could be an agent of change. “Technology and social media is a significant positive,” he said, explaining that the Government is “bringing the classic liberal values to bear” in order to improve the current data protection system. From the role technology plays in terrorism to the most domestic topic of online bullying, he touched on how his mission is to protect his three young children and future generations from its perils.
“I think culture is that which helps us find empathy,” he said when Rajan prodded him on the role government has in the public domain. He talked of culture building a sense of place and the benefits of Soft Power on the global political stage.
Opportunity remained a key word for Hancock throughout. The 39-year old self-titled centre-right Secretary of State said, “I support newspapers, I support the BBC, I support other broadcasters”. The UK, to Hancock, is a medium-sized country that finds niches and “then absolutely owns it”. His niche? Taking us forward in the dangerous and dazzling digital age.
If you missed this, you might like event number 104, Spark Salon 1: Creators and Consumers: What’s our role in responsibly designing the future? at 4pm on Sunday 27 May.