Read this: 26/02/2021 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts been sufficiently robust and independent as a licence fee payer whose faith and trust in the BBC News reporting has been in steep decline during the past year.

I feel really angry at the corporations seeming unwillingness and or inability to hold this government to account.

I'll be putting that and other critical comments from listeners to Jonathan Munro the BBC's deputy news, who's had a rabbit challenging year.

We've managed to stay on are they on occasions candle has been stretched and r220 something politics graduates who don't usually listen to radio for a back surely the News Quiz will entice them in From The Cold I don't think the panels two middle-aged.

I think that.

Humorous very middle-aged doesn't sound too hopeful did they laugh at any of the jokes find out later?

Here goes we headed towards the nations first covid lockdown we asked to BBC News editor when and whether his reporters would use the word pandemic seems a long time ago.

We want to discuss the difficulties importing terrible news without and corrosion hysteria over 120000 deaths later vaccines are riding to the rescue and there's a real possibility of normal life resuming in the summer.

So how well has BBC News reported the pandemic and its devastating consequences and neglected other vital store is in the process.

I put those questions and others to Jonathan Munro the BBC's deputy director of news, but I Began by discussing another issue, which concerns many listeners impartiality new director-general took over one of the first things he talks about was a renewed commitment to impartiality and on Wednesday this week the new director of policy play something.

That as well, but what does impartiality mean does it mean the BBC wasn't impartial in the past? It doesn't mean words importing the past but the guidelines that we working under the BBC guidelines which social media social media and it's important when we are researching impartiality that we modernize the perspectives were taking on there, so that people's leaning views.

Can't be detected just by what they're broadcasting but what they're saying in the broader outside world the new media the social media world has changed things.

It's also enable people to weaponize this and to claim that we're not being impartial because they're not seeing a representation of their own views on there and that happened a lot and some of the divisive political stories that we had over the last 4 years in the UK and brexit.

Between things when the overwhelming weight considered an expert opinion is in One Direction and not the other so you know the classic example is that someone who thinks that the Earth is flat is not going to get a hearing on June on the BBC in Preston area if there's a reasonable view that can help by other people then it should be the subject of impartiality return to the email.

Sent to us by listening and here's one of them is concerned that the news agenda has been narrowing Isabella how many times Radio 4 has won stories on care homes.

It must now be in the hundreds.

If not thousands same format most days by the death of the elderly in care homes with upset bellot.

IV's all those who cannot see their families the anglefield.

Identical everytime any chance that we could move on and why did the focus somewhat Jonathan Munro about the word angle? There are lots of angles on care homes that the volume of death of course is one of them other angles about how that story is advancing for example around the provision of the staff to go out and I don't think it's a story that we've exhausted by any means a list of films that you turn it to do the story in a similar way and perhaps motive wait to think that you were have been as it were becoming more emotive in your coverage people in the end and two other straight the effects of a pandemic without doing motion of it was sent to me to be an extremely difficult prescription for how to make coverage work need to be true.

We need to be doing the story the real people and the story of

The analysis behind a pandemic and holding those in power to the accounts if you look at you know a lot of people listen to your program will be regularly as I imagine other Today programme on Radio 4 pretty much.

We've put Minister's or officials into live interview situations to hold onto a council question about decision-making with that but it's a question of the reporting and receives honesty interviewing that's where some people thought you you've come a bit short and that you've overemphasize the emotion of the price perhaps of not sufficient analysis and investigation both things need to be true stories that we've gone on PPE which is an extremely controversial procurement program led by the Department of Health which early x under contractual relationships in playing out and sort of things we will ministers and officials regularly and analyse of our own.

Find the listener Caroline barber wants to raise she believes.

There's been a failure to hold the government to account on this if I wanted to contact you about the BBC Sport wildering decision not to prioritise the news last week that Health Secretary Matt Hancock acted unlawfully when his department didn't reveal details of contracts it had signed during the early months pandemic on the evening the 3rd.

It was announced 19th of February it wasn't a headline on the BBC news at 10 and it was also completely absent from later news bulletins on BBC Radio instead.

Royal news regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dominated the bulletin examples of editorial decision-making like this seem to me to undermine between partiality specifically the point about it.

Not being in the headlines on the day in which the High Court passed judgement critical judgement on the

Turn a lot of coverage of the legal ruling by the High Court and health secretary has been on the BBC answering questions about the number of occasions including flagship programmes like the Andrew Marr Show itself on the 6 p.m.

Bulletin there was nothing you lead with Meghan and Harry the latest story it was there on the third item in the radio bulletin at 10 at some nothing in it 6:00 and people are saying this.

This is a cabinet minister found guilty of doing something illegal on a matter of absolute public importance and you didn't run with it.

Why not answering the questions about the headlines what we will send me bulletin people will not understand why this was until Eid story.

I can't remember when last a cabinet Minister was declared to have done something illegal.

That was a thought that would have been in headlines without a shadow of a doubt that was the headline on any program is what else is happening in the world that day and how you I don't think appreciates the value of royal news Harry and Meghan by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to resign from the royal family is historical very important that has not happened before and that they just sent you the space in the another story particularly one when a cabinet ministers been told found who done something really but we can we can have a conversation about what's the headlines of the story and give it to me on several programs and the Health Secretary last about it is not an indication that we didn't do the story.

Can move into another issue which concerns list of Thomas Collett who thinks there's another major story that's been miss, what is there so little coverage by the BBC of the current effect of brexit on transport business food availability travel and so forth is it purposely being kept under wraps.

You know I think I've been on this program before being too much on brexit about alongside the other big story of the moment which causes the pandemic but if you look for example at the work colleagues are on Radio 4 on the world this weekend.

They've done a piece every week or specifically on the sex of brexit over on 5 Live we've done your call.

We done series with Stephen Nolan with the whole series of articles and news stories about brexit.

There is more to do with course you can.

Pops people wanting you to put it all together and to say definitively or something the consequences of brexit.

I'm much worse than the government has said if you felt that, would you feel it properly together? You know can be very powerful that can be very powerful tool to decide themselves whether they are good or bad effects and under have an argument on the BBC is a good thing.

That's a good idea.

I will certainly look up with an opportunity to do that coverage in particular that the events in Myanmar and Jim Dewar has this to say about it? I find it quite astonishing but you're Today programme reports of the military coup in Myanmar actually a view from Thailand where is the name our reporter the authority of the country is significantly undermined by this fact and the reporting a second-hand subjective and under plays the strength of feeling and action from ordinary people so where is York Myanmar report?

What is the code world we can't put it on aeroplanes in the way that we would have been able to a year or more ago and how many foreign beer as we got there.

We got more than 60 of them.

There are going to be some brake parts of the world where we not actually on the ground in the way that your member the audience helps.

We would be we do have colleagues from the BBC Burmese service based in Yangon and obviously that's a program that he heard but they have been widely across the BBC in Thailand has a inevitable responsibility for Southeast Asia is not just the tile and respond correspondent final point we got over the years covered me and Mark but before that Burma and we've use their expertise extensively so in the country in years gone by an interview on occasions has been one of our go-to analyst Somers point the Range and the number of

That you do in the perception by some of our audience that they are decreasing at this is from Alistair Elliot recently I was in the kitchen listening to a news report from China on tonight on radio for a pop through to the lounge when my wife was watching the BBC 10 oclock news and low and behold exact same report was being broadcast on TV more and more I'm noticing the same report on TV and radio, but this is the first time I've come across it simultaneously.

Yes, it is money and yes it leads to a consistent message, but I would rather hear more and different stories.

Is it the case Jonathan manner that you are reducing the numbers of is that you do and making sure those stories are seen on a multiplicity of outlets on the example.

We would never even if that was just for one program.

Sensible thing to do with our resources and if someone is deployed to Wuhan from the Beijing Shanghai and they come back with a great story.

I really don't see the harm in allowing BBC1 viewers and Radio 4 listens to hear versions of that story in that evening BBC online read as well would no doubt have had the same and the world service that feels to me to be a reasonable use of what you're doing now is to have a sort of multi-skilled story teams that will decide what size go after them and then as you say give them great prominence they worry about two things one is fewer stories and therefore narrowing of gender and said who's making this decision you yourself.

I said you don't want a group of white middle-aged men sitting around a table deciding what people should watch but isn't there a danger now if you are stories which is Salah

Fewer people what does not have bigger or smaller than usual as you always have a decision making process about what you going to do and where you going to do for your people and spend your time.

That's inevitable the bar at which she make decisions may move depending on the level of resource.

You've got on the stories.

We make a lot of news output and is spread widely across BBC platform, so that all audiences can get hold of it for some of it isn't some of it will be resorted is put into a story which only has one someone program or no one page of the website with a relatively low reached some of those are still absolutely worth doing however restricted people's budgets are in the future or the past we got to be sensible with public money and to say that if we got very good journalism, whether it's from Wuhan or salmon, or UK story for that matter.

We want the audiences across the

Have an opportunity to hear and see and and read that out.

Thanks to Jonathan Munro the BBC's deputy director of news and who let us know your thoughts on that interview or else to do with BBC Radio this is how you get in touch and I'll details to read by the Legendary Corrie Corfield who had her final shift at the BBC this week to feedback.

Can I bbc.co.uk or write a letter the address is feedback PO Box 672 34 London se1p 4ax you can follow our activity on Twitter by using at BBC R4 feedbag or you can call us and leave a phone message on 0303 444 5440 standard landline charges apply, but it could cost more on some mobile networks all those details for on our website.

Well, I've the last week's program.

You certainly did get in touch in particular overall discussion of the style and turn of the new and rather younger main presenter of woman's eye and the bonnet who does the first day and Anita Rani who covers Friday and Saturday as you might have anticipated opinions shop divided but the majority of our correspondence are in favour of the new regime is a sample of what you had to say, Elizabeth Houghton Connell from Privett Hampshire I listen to last week's program and was so disappointed to hear Emma Barnett being criticized for her challenging and for presentation on Woman's Hour much as I have loved listening to Jenni Murray and Jane Garvey in the past.

I have to say that Emma Barnett is a breath of fresh air and in my view represents the 21st century and man she's intelligent articulated Sharp and doesn't pussyfoot around the question if you agreed to be interviewed by Emma you still expected to be expected to know your facts.

French French from Poole Dorset I was fully prepared to welcome Emma and then Anita with open arms after all things change nothing lasts forever, but we're sadness I have to play the Emma style isn't for me.

She is really too young for the roll.

She's a different generation for most of your style, but listeners and warm inside doesn't suit has girl said I suspect that I'm bringing in a new younger audience.

She will turn loyal older fakeaway, Winkleigh from Saltaire West Yorkshire Emma Barnett and Anita Rani about a year or so that Jenny Murray was when she first presented the program and both at least as experienced as she was then entitled to have her own style and we will soon get used to them as they settle into the job to both of them amen to that last week's out of your comfort.

Teacher here on feedback or super about quite a reaction in it too young politics graduates who would never previously listened to the Today programme were markedly unenthusiastic about it.

I stole from London about the program and other similar demographic.

I'm a 22-year old uni student and I was put on the radio for about 5 years ago when commuting long distances by car on Friday evenings the comedy programme at 6:30 remaining to shore fire escape from the Monday in traffic of daily life and be interested.

I like them which only featured younger speakers or is awaiting competition series open to young contestants.

I know that my friends and I also like hearing about career parts and life stories stories for young professionals could make the terrifying void of the future seemed a bit more than having this is Peter Bainbridge two contradictory items on feedback last week.

The reason that too young presenters with chosen to present woman's ark with to attract a younger audience which young people would be listening at 10 a.m.

Immediately after his two graduates are asked to listen to a programme on Radio 4 both said they never listen to radio for a night had their parents.

They hated the program you selected for them.

So why is the BBC pursuing this fruitless path well the official view is because young people are the future and if the BBC contract them to its programs somehow someday The Corporation itself.

May not have a future well.

We tried again and asked me to 20-somethings to listen to one of the most popular Radio 4 comedy shows do they laugh or even raise a smile let's find out.

Rebecca Coleman from London and Molly Cobain from Kirkcaldy both graduated last summer with politics degrees from Glasgow university and both said I don't listen to BBC Radio ask Molly first and she really not come across any BBC radio listen to Radio 6 and really want in the past but I can tell you the last time that happened ok, Rebecca do you listen to BBC Radio at all? I don't until I couldn't remember the last time I listen to I have a radio at home, but I haven't actually plugged it in which really is an indictment of that statement that everything's available now isn't it on on the phone and not just out of interest when you're listening to music and do you do if I have Radio 1 6 music by sammy like Spotify or some other networks? What about you?

Spotify for I use just like make my own playlists and listen to that all the time.

That's exactly the same with may make the playlist listen to them maybe too much, but yeah where we're going to send you into foreign territory here aren't we by asking to listen to BBC Radio 4 well actually asked you to listen to the news quiz this edition was chaired by Andy salzman.

Had a relatively new and fresh team.

Let me ask you what you thought of first of all Rebecca what you thought of the structure of the idea of the program.

I don't think it was very much the comedy first quiz second kind of you get for his TV panel shows which I did enjoy it becomes secondary that was fun.

I did laugh.

I think a few times is not really my type of humour, but I think this is a comedy satire about politics current affairs in living spot on the areas of Interest yeah.

Well it is.

What I found it a little bit obvious maybe some of the comedy it was very middle-aged as how I would describe it in a word out anybody that's just how I feel that the chair now.

It's complicated shall we say is he a good chat.

I mean is very welcoming.

Is you very witty Rebecca is somebody that you won't I think I could definitely see myself warming to him.

I thought his intro.

You know kind of it did set the toilet it was very lighthearted and I think maybe it's kind of just what you needs before breaking into the week's news perhaps.

I thought you really carrying on the comedic tone throughout the program.

Hello.

I am Andy zaltzman.

Do not be fooled by the zoom filter that makes me look like a Balding middle aged man.

All cat really good jokes and quite cutting Incisive political commentary jokes with a very much with an edge that I think it was very Radio 4 funny and it was critical of current politics and the government and stuff.

I just think it could have had more of an edge.

Maybe and some sets of numbers in the past of seen this program is left wing and particularly perhaps when you have Jeremy Hardy and Mark still together in the BBC is that but also try to find the median if there are any to be found some would save it sunny in Simon Evans that you got some do certain doesn't come from the extreme left.

Did you think the he added some decent ballet?

I don't think that it was necessarily very left-wing anyway, so I think it was fine.

I honestly don't know if I should make this but I'm not sure which one he was your answer.

I thought I thought when you said he was right one but he might have had that in terms of his jokes.

I didn't see like a massive difference between him and rest the panel.

I thought everyone was very like centre middle-of-the-road type.

I think what the government are is sportsmanlike.

You know they're giving the virus of fighting chance at Dover fox hunting enough and they've that's not really a sport.

It's all one way and even a little bit Rebecca in the past news has been seen by many people sort of the gold standard really of satire.

Do you think it? Is that now do you think you could hear better satire elsp little satire elsewhere or was this rather special the best political satire of heard probably know but I don't think it was nice and light-hearted perhaps it would dated for me anyway.

You know the Rod Hull and Emu jokes certainly there is so much with younger people and you kind of have some awareness of weather in Egypt that had already falling about not my memory no, but I didn't hate to show I liked it and I listen to all and I thought it was quite funny, but I do want anything that I was memorably hilarious.

Priti Patel to the Child Catcher again, maybe as slightly dated reference, but probably still in mine and Molly's time just about that did make me laugh.

I have to say well at the end these discussions we asked the same question which is is there any chance of you voluntarily listening to these programs again not for work that you've just done it for us.

Thank you very much before pleasure about you.

Molly will you listen to the news again.

If it was on I would not turn it off as that that's how about you.

Would you be isn't that? I think it's hard to let you know I wouldn't lose sleepover forgot to 7 p.m.

On a Friday and I've missed the quiz a better run and catch up but if I do things to do on a Friday is often the case now.

I might tuning and give it a listen.

Yeah.

I did enjoy it.

Send a qualified supporter then.

We might call Rebecca thank you very much indeed for Johnny thank you.

Thank you and do let us know if you would like to be put out of your

and that's it for this week.

Please keep safe and help keep other people safe to Dubai