- Tim Levell
- 15 Jan 07, 02:53 PM
You may be surprised to read this, but the Mail on Sunday carried a shock-horror story about the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ at the weekend based on an interview I gave - and I can refreshingly report that my words weren't twisted, my quotes weren't taken out of context, and, apart from the slightly over-dramatic writing, the story was basically correct.
"" was the newspaper's revelation, after I mentioned on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's Newswatch programme (which you can watch here) that Newsround didn't think Pete Doherty was a suitable role model for children, and that we have an "informal agreement" not to cover stories about him.
It's not a blanket ban forever (we might even report on him and Kate getting married, if it's ever confirmed). But at the moment, yes, you won't catch Pete on Newsround, because he is known mostly for his drug-taking and crime - and, as I also said on Newswatch, his music is not exactly something that many nine-year-olds are listening to or interested in.
Some of you may think this is "censorship". Others may feel that he isn't a suitable role model, and I'd be very interested in your views.
But this also got me thinking about the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's slightly unusual relationship with some of the press - and wondering whether I should worry that my contribution has led to this story.
I previously worked on a project called iCan, now Action Network, which is all about helping people to take part in local democracy and take action on issues they care about. Before launch, we were concerned that the site could be interpreted as the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ encouraging people to attack the government (in other words, undermining our commitment to political impartiality). I spent many hours with our editorial policy teams devising ways of making the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's impartiality clear - all in an attempt to avoid a much-feared tabloid expose.
I was then rather surprised when, after one of our pre-launch briefings, a senior ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News manager told me that actually the best - not worst - thing that could happen to the site would be "revelations in the Daily Mail". It would show that the site was rattling cages (what it was designed to do) - and it would get it publicity.
In the end, iCan was never featured in any tabloid newspaper, probably to its cost. This taught me that headlines in the newspapers arenβt always a bad thing - particularly when theyβve got the story spot-on.
Tim Levell is editor of Newsround
- Steve Herrmann
- 15 Jan 07, 01:59 PM
We're about to make a few changes to how we show you audio and video on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News website, and on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Sport and Weather sites.
The range of audio/video on offer will be the same, but there will be a simpler approach to the way itβs displayed and accessed.
So in the coming days, within the News audio/video player which launches when you click on any bit of audio or video on this site, weβll be replacing the current sub-indexes of content with a simpler range of options. These will include links to related and recommended audio/video and, of course, links back to the News website.
Most audio/video is viewed from story and section pages and weβll continue to make sure the best and most relevant is added to the main stories of the day. Weβll also continue to signpost the best audio/video from our front page and section pages.
In addition there will be a page of links to the best of the dayβs audio/video which youβll be able to get to from the left-hand navigation of the site. If youβre looking for a current audio/video story β a bit of news footage you've heard about or the interview thatβs making the headlines - you'll be able to have a look there.
If you canβt see it there or if youβre looking for something thatβs a few days, weeks or months old, you'll still be able to use our audio/video search. That lives behind the βAudio and Videoβ tab at the top of the main ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ site search on every page.
When the new-look player arrives on the site it will have a link in it for your feedback. Weβre keen to hear what you think and itβll help us work out what we need to do next.
For very assiduous readers of this blog with long memories (I realise this must be a small, if select, group): I said here back in August that we would revisit one or two of the changes we made then to audio/video promotion on our front page. Notable among these was the fact that the audio/video area of the page doesnβt stay hidden on return visits if youβve chosen to close it, which you generally found annoying. We havenβt done that yet because weβve had to get some other technical projects finished first, but it's on the to-do list and not forgotten.
Later this year the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is hoping to make wider changes to audio/video provision right across the www.bbc.co.uk website. Subject to approval by the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Trust, the plan is to introduce a new, unified βiPlayerβ service which will involve a consistent design for all audio/video players, more content on offer and the ability to download some of it.
Steve Herrmann is editor of the
- David Kermode
- 15 Jan 07, 12:34 PM
Declan's kicked off what's to be a year-long series for us this morning, introducing us to our Breakfast .
The idea has nothing to do with chips - and everything to do with emissions.
We have challenged the family, the Hawksworths who live in Castle Donington, to see if they can reduce their emissions (they got in touch when just before Christmas).
We'll return once a month to see how they get on and also, more importantly to explore some of the issues around climate change and global warming.
We had some encouraging this morning - and a lot of interest in our carbon footprint feature.
But it's fair to say we also had some scepticism around the science of global warming, with a few people getting in touch to dispute whether it is really a serious issue.
On the science, we have pledged to explore those questions, with the Hawksworths helping put the questions.
Others felt that it was unfair to single out a family for our 'low carb' challenge - we should be "going after big business" instead.
My answer to that final point is that we do - and will continue to - question businesses on their environmental credentials.
Last week, we challenged the boss of Marks and Spencer, Stuart Rose, on the issue of food miles.
Declan frequently puts similar questions to the CEOs and chairmen who visit his studio.
Finally, some got in touch wondering why we cover so many stories relating to the environment, CO2 emissions and recycling.
"Frankly I am sick of listening to Breakfast going on and on about green issues", was one such comment.
Maybe we do too much of it? And we must certainly think about the sheer volume of such stories we cover. But we get an enormous response every time we do.
David Kermode is editor of
The Independent: Stephen Glover on the media's handling of Kate Middleton's birthday. ()
The Independent: Columnist Matthew Norman on Kelvin MacKenzie's Question Time appearance. ()
Mail on Sunday: "Pop star Pete Doherty has been banned by the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ from appearing on their children's television programmes." ()
The Guardian: Report on Panorama's new primetime slot on Monday nights. ()
The Guardian: "Three years ago the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ issued an unprecedented apology to the government over the Kelly affair. But who authorised the announcement and why is there no record that it was discussed by the governors?" ()
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