BBC Correspondents

It has become a constant irritation listening to the BBC coverage of any political activity.  Norman Smith and Laura Kuenssberg are the key protagonists in this issue.  Their input during the election this year was one of the reasons I gave up on the “Today Programme” and most of the BBC news coverage.  Their tone of delivery and Norman Smiths Cheshire Cat grin when reporting on serious issues is not appropriate. More importantly why are these BBC employees’ opinions so much more important and trustworthy than any other person?

 The BBC is not supposed to have an opinion yet these people are given more air time than other who may have an opinion.  An opinion is a personal view so why are these people put on air?  The argument goes that they have “the ear” of those in power.  No! they have listened to a bit of title tattle in the Commons restaurant and picked out the bits that are the most “entertaining.” There again is another fault of the BBC News coverage – they now see themselves as entertainers like the tabloid press and not purveyors of FACTS.  The BBC should stand apart from the rest of the news media yet it is being swallowed up by day to day pressures over viewing and listening figures.  NOTE – during the general election the “Today programme” listening figures dropped by 100,000.  I wonder if they analysed the reason why people switched.  The BBC political correspondents are always given the last word after an interview, WHY!  Leave the public to draw conclusions themselves.  We know when a person is lying or avoiding the question no need to spoon feed the viewer/listener.  They constantly speculate which only creates unnecessary concern or leads to inaccuracies – phrases like “there is a chance….”  “This could possibly happen….”  If you don’t know then keep quiet.  Let others involved in the actual news item make the point. A journalist’s role is to control interviews between two or more people not to stand themselves on a pedestal as some sort of Guru. You’re a journalist – no more and no less so get rid of the title Correspondent – it’s only there so you are paid a ridiculous salary