B B C Television News - Government Virus Update

[naomi24]

I was less than impressed when Keir Starmer, immediately before the Government’s update on the virus last night, gave what can only be described as a Party Political Broadcast, but the BBC’s performance went from bad to worse when mid-way through questions from the media and the public to Boris Johnson and government advisors Fiona Bruce announced the BBC was ‘leaving it there’ and going over to others for analysis - cue Laura Kuenssberg.

Did we really want to hear what Kuenssberg and whoever followed her thought before the Prime Minister’s update had ended? She and they certainly weren’t analysing what they’d neglected to listen to. I switched over to the BBC News channel to hear the rest of what Boris et al had to say, but BBC1 was absolutely wrong to deny its audience the briefing in full. The more I see of the BBC in past years the less I like it.

[fiction-factory]

I thought it was odd too.

[margarettom]

'The more I see of the BBCin the past years the less I like it'.
You and me both naomi24.

[woofgang]

I think they HAD to give Keir Starmer time. Like at election time all the parties who wish it have to be given air time. They didn't deny the public the rest of the Boris briefing, just moved channels but I agree irritating. I couldn't do it myself...stand up there and stay polite and say things like "That's a very important question" when what you are thinking is "I have answered this multiple times, do you (insert obscene descriptive words here) not listen?"

[naomi24]

//They didn't deny the public the rest of the Boris briefing, just moved channels //

Yes, that's exactly what they did. And not a word to inform anyone that the rest of the briefing could be seen elsewhere.

[mushroom25]

the briefing overran its allotted time. to have shown it all would have left no time for "analysis" - or would have meant delaying EastEnders (which is as you know grounds for hanging).

[tiggerblue10]

I missed half of the response trying to change channels. Very annoying.

Having said that, I would rather watch the BBC than the arrogant and petulant rantings of a so called GMB 'presenter'.

[naomi24]

mushroom, I personally could have done without the analysis - in fact I did. I'd far rather listen to what the government has to say than Kuenssberg's opinions.

[Gromit]

On BBC1 is the news headlines. A condensed and edited half hour version of the news.
The BBC News Channel does 24 hour rolling news coverage.
So YOU were watching the wrong channel.

[Mozz71]

Also, the daily briefings are played in full on Radio 5, having said that, if the Beeb doesn't state that when leaving the briefing on their main channel, man folk will not know that.

[Mozz71]

*many folk

[Peter Pedant]

// Did we really want to hear what Kuenssberg thought before the Prime Minister’s update had ended?//

they think we do
Laura K certainly does

the non numerate Beeb hacks also have a rational fear of numbers as none of them have got maff O level or anything near. so some quite clear stats are mashed by successive mod french grads into well unintelligble goobledeegook - yes gee-gee-gook, I used the word advisedly

No maff or stats so the hacks can dwell on the important stuff like who was clearer - Sturgeon or Boris, what happens when you live in a house which straddles the border - and should you behave differently if your head is in Scotland and your feet in England

[lankeela]

I've never known such rudeness as the way the BBC newsreaders interrupt people before and during these press briefings, often to go to the weather forecast!

[Peter Pedant]

o god if you really want to scramble your brains try Kay Birley on er somewhere - sky - CNN

hey did anyone see Trump on his chinese hobby horse today ?
sea change - first time a reporter has bitten back at a president

we sociologists say that he has enlarged the overton window ( set of things things to say - like: I built a great warl and that kept the chinese virus out) - but the hacks just sat there like dummies.
and this is the first time a journo has enlarged her overton window to match
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

[Zacs-Master]

Being discussed at length elsewhere, pp.

[naomi24]

Gromit, I was indeed watching the wrong channel. One that thought it appropriate to cut short the Prime Minister's important address to the nation and replace it with a reporter's, and as I understand it, others, opinions.

[Zacs-Master]

Where said reporter said that she thought the new guidelines were now ‘very clear’.

[THECORBYLOON]

The BBC News Channel showed it in full and you switched over to it. Could other folk not also have done that?

[naomi24]

They shouldn't have needed to, Corby.

[Gromit]

It’s a bit pointless 2 channels showing exactly the same thing, so one shows it in full, and the other the best bits edited.

It is like tuning into Match of the day then complaining you only got to see 20 minutes of a match, and some analysis, and not the full 90 minutes.

[naomi24]

Gromit, I would expect the predominant channel of the BBC to report the most important news of the day - in full. I wonder when the BBC decided that Laura Kuenssberg takes precedence over the Prime Minister?