Dead Cat - the work of Matthew Gaffen

12/15/2010

Kevin Backhurst (BBC News Channel Controller) Wants to hear from you.


"Dear Mr Gaffen

Thank you for your feedback regarding the BBC News Channel broadcast on 13 December 2010.

We appreciate some viewers felt Ben Brown was too challenging during his interview with student tuition fees protestor Jody McIntrye.

The Controller for the BBC News Channel Kevin Bakhurst has written a blog in response to these concerns..."

Oh really now? Expecting a sincere apology on Ben Brown's behalf I read on:

"We have received a considerable number of complaints about an interview Ben Brown did last night on the BBC News Channel with Jody McIntyre. The context of the interview was that Mr McIntyre was on the student demonstrations in London last week and video emerged yesterday of him being pulled out of his wheelchair by police.

I am aware that there is a web campaign encouraging people to complain to the BBC about the interview, the broad charge being that Ben Brown was too challenging in it. However I am genuinely interested in hearing more from people who have complained about why they object to the interview. I would obviously welcome all other views.

I have reviewed the interview a few times and I would suggest that we interviewed Mr McIntyre in the same way that we would have questioned any other interviewee in the same circumstances: it was quite a long interview and Mr McIntyre was given several minutes of airtime to make a range of points, which he did forcefully; Ben challenged him politely but robustly on his assertions.

Mr McIntyre says during the interview that "personally he sees himself equal to anyone else" and we interviewed Mr McIntyre as we would interview anyone else in his position. Comments more than welcome."

So, dear friends, Kevin Backhurst would like to know what was so appalling about this interview. For me it was how Ben Brown skipped over the discussion of the Palestinian coverage, and continued to focus on a line of argument that Jody McIntyre has conclusively rebuffed.

kevin.bakhurst@bbc.co.uk


No comments:

Post a Comment

If you leave a comment I'll feel really popular all of a sudden