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I don't think the Today Prog is class biased in the way that Prescott suggested. However, I do think it has degenerated. Frankly, I only listen to it because of my job rather than for enjoyment or to be informed. I'm sick and tired of John's ego and view of the world. I believe that good journalism is about finding the balance between entertainment and engagement of audience and a search for truth. John has introduced a third arc into that - his desire to dominate his interviewees. People come on to the programme to make an argument, to put across their point of view, and yes, to have it debated and challenged - and I want to hear just that. Instead, I find it has become a pugilistic exercise, testing the ability of interviewer and interviewee to get the upper hand. Evan, I have long admired your clarity and even-handedness as economics editor. Along with Nick Robinson, you generally try and find that journalistic balance, and I feel informed and educated by listening to you. However, I worry that over time you may succumb to the Today Prog malaise. I hope not!

I've moved over to 5Live because the Today programme is too downbeat.

I agree with Mr Prescott when he says that "If the glass is half full or half empty you'll get the half empty".

In general, I feel that journalists are not happy unless they are making the most negative interpretation possible from any set of facts (although I'm sure there are specific examples where this is not the case).

It would be nice to find a programme where the presenters attempted to explore the most likely impact of issues, rather than focussing on the worst-case and simply trying to score points off their interviewees.

There is, of course, a need for hard questions and for evasive answers to be challenged, however this must surely be with the aim of finding the most likely 'truth', not with the aim of catching the interviewee out.

Evan, A classic example of this is how, over the period of a week, you might shout about how the 'stock market is down 5%' on, say, a Tuesday, then shout about it being down, say' 7% on Thursday morning.

But without mentioning the fact that it may have recovered by 3% and 4% on intervening days.

Likewise, when the exchange rate goes above two dollars to the pound, there is much wailing and weeping about the exporters who are going to the wall due to the 'uncompetitive exchange rate'.

And when the pound is crashing through the floor, then there is much gnashing of teeth about holidaymakers that aren't able to fly to Corfu because of a 'sterling crisis'..

He DOES have a point, there does need to be some circumspection here.

And for the record class IS a huge issue, at least in the South East of England. In many cases the prejudice is a subtle form of 'racism' as those deemed 'not one of us, dear' are pushed 'out of the loop' of the social meritocracy used to keep the Welsh / Polish / Northerners out of the loop.

This is far less of a problem in Wales where a good education, a rugby club, a love of music and access to the countryside are available to all. But in the southern half of England the problem is still endemic.

Prezza was spot-on about Today and its middle-class worldview. For me, two off-the-cuff (and that's the point) remarks from last Friday’s programme illustrate the point.

Firstly, Ed Stourton’s assumption during the discussion on school applications that parents will value as much information as possible. Perhaps, Ed, if they are very literate and numerate, have the financial resources to make a genuine choice, are highly aspirational on behalf of their children and are able to decode educational / bureaucratic / statistical jargon – all of which are, I would suggest, typical attributes (though not exclusively so) of the modern middle class.

Secondly, Evan Davis’ remark about a pint containing ‘rather too much liquid’; at a stroke, he alienated himself from millions of working-class folk for whom a few pints is a longstanding, relaxing ritual after a day’s graft (by hand or by brain) and who would be horrified to learn (if they ever read the ‘official’ literature, which they overwhelmingly don’t) that the government classifies them as binge drinkers.

There’s no shame in Today being middle class (though, I must say, I often find the tone of its ‘star’ presenter smug and arrogant) – I’m just astonished that you’re astonished by the charge.

In terms of coverage regarding the credit crunch - it is not that the Today programme is too down beat - in common with Five live news - it seems to suffer from a football commentary approach to world economic afairs.

For instance last week we were startled (or not) by a headline proclaiming - 'this is the worst day on the markets since 1992!'

Wow - was that the most frightening headline the team could dream up?

If business is all about confidence - surely the press bares some responsibility in undermining it!

It seems the Â鶹ԼÅÄ news department will not give up until we're all broke at this rate.

Prescott made me cross this morning. He is an inverted snob I thought. We sent our son to public school for a good well rounded education.

Many parents do the same. In order to do so they give up many things to pay the fees saving the state a fortune.

Sorry John that our son speaks with a
southern accent but that is where he was born.

It really is time that Prescott grew up and got off the north south and working class gravy train.

Prescott was a hero for the way he spoke out on the Today programme. It's a scandal that the national media is dominated by a cosy network of public school educated, often oxbridge types, and the only reason more isn't made of this is because there's no reason for it to be reported.
Look at the double-barrelled bylines on the broadsheets. Listen to the accents on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ.
How many of these 'journalists' have earned their spurs on their local rag?
Sadly Prezza didn't pack quite the same punch on his TV programme, where he allowed himself to be patronised by members of the elite on a few too many occasions.

Evan

I am glad you like Pauline Prescott as I am a bit of a fan too. Good solid working class stock is that lady, it shows well and to her enormous credit.

I wish I could say the same about John. He is so awkward sometimes that he seems to have attended the same personality academy as Prince Charles. Yet I know he can also be an extremely charming and agreeable man.

I think the problem is that John would like to be working class as it brings certainty to his status, but he knows he is not. I understand his father was a railway clerk and so technically John is lower middle class.

I just wonder what sort of man he would have been if he had passed the 11-plus? I passed the 11-plus, went to a local state grammar and hated it. Certainly, if he had, John would not be the class warrior we know and often force ourselves to love, so perhaps it did all turn out well for him in the end?

Quite some time ago, I found it almost impossible to listen to The Today programme anymore, mainly because of the smug, huffing and puffing of John Humphreys. And when The Today Programme attempt a bit of 'pop' or 'youth culture', (an awkward attempt at making the programme vaguely 'with it', I suppose), I cringe with embarrassment for the presenters, they clearly have no genuine interest or understanding for the subject under discussion. Although it's a different programme - it is of a similar ilk, though - a similar problem occasionally emerges on Newsnight. I'll never forget the time a few months back when Jeremy Paxman didn't even bother to hide his contempt for the show's report on Manchester's music scene in the 80s, tied in with the news of the death of Tony Wilson.
This may seem unconnected with John Prescott, but he really is on to something with his complaint about class and the show and perhaps the Â鶹ԼÅÄ as an institution, in general - having the right accent IS an issue. Certain regional accents are tolerated but not others. I hear my own accent fluctuating, depending on to whom I am speaking. My (southern, Essex) accent that I use with family and old friends would be sneered at in a different context - the Â鶹ԼÅÄ might like it on Eastenders, but not on an Oxbridge-dominated show like the Today programme. I like Evan Davis as a broadcaster, but I am not surprised that he would not understand this problem. Accents betray all sorts of things - class and background, most obviously. And while we do not hear the now-comic Received Pronunciation of the old Â鶹ԼÅÄ (like the Harry Enfield character), there are certainly particular accents - and, by extension, educational backgrounds - which dominate the Â鶹ԼÅÄ. If you have never felt the need to adapt your own accent to be taken seriously, then yes, you might be somewhat mystified as to what Prescott is onto here.

Not yet watched Prescott but I heard him on Monday. I don't think I'm listening to the same Today programme that he and some of the people here are criticising.
If people want to be fobbed off with platitudes and saccherine they can go and listen somewhere else. Today's presenters take a balanced view and if what one of them sees depresses or amuses them they should say so.
They're not responsible for how listeners feel, for goodness sake.

I think John's problem is having an inferiority complex, which he finds difficult to handle. Instead he is calling the problem "Class" making it a problem created by other people and one he can struggle against.

Rather than seeking to dominate discussion and the interviewer, I think he is just very sensitive to the feeling that it is he that is being dominated.

Just talking to someone with an Oxbridge accent probably makes him feel inferior.

Today is struggling to attract a new, younger audience. Mr Prestcott is struggling to find himself.
Neither Today nor Mr Prestcott are at ease with themselves. Mrs Prestcott obviously is.
There are lessons to be learnt. Or as we said in my day, learned.

Prescott is a class Uncle Tom. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ is a mouthpiece for neo con and neo liberal ideology. A parade of bankers and hedgies called upon to comment on the economic crisis. When are you going to make Mad Frankie Fraser your crime correspondent ?

The truth is most working class people are building the pyramid and never get inside.

There is no doubt in my mind that Prescott is an inverted snob and an anacronism He wears "working class" as a badge of honour as though we should celebrate a class of people "entitled" to suffer Ricketts and poor diets.

My abiding memory of him is travelling First Class on a China Airways flight to Shanghai where he engaged in conversation while changing his sweaty shirt in the cabin. No doubt he felt turning left on a proletariat airline was acceptable for a socialist. I assume he is uncomfortable sitting in Club or First on BA?

Trying to sustain the out-dated and defunct concept of working class is more about dragging life down to a class half empty stance than the Today programme. Today most of us have to work for a living and cannot rely on inheretance. Those who claim to be proud of being working class are those who have not succeeded at school for whatever reason and ironically work at a job they are a little embarrassed about.

As for the media - they are too up themselves. They are as guilty as an corporation of self interest and thinking that the general public ought to be interested. Unfortunately they have the added advantage of owning the proverbial "radio mast" with which to self-flagelate their Ross dross and hype the bland on Brand. This was a non story is the same league as the sad murder of Dando, which was no more a story than all murders other than she was one of the corporations Dollys.