Read this: 28/07/2023 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello and welcome to this week.

It's one of the biggest questions of how exactly did the pandemic begin Radio 4 fever the hunt for covid origin goes under the feedback microscope.

I found it opening at conclusion to be somebody because I would have liked an assessment of the likelihood of exterior of the series presenter John sudworth is here to respond to your comments and too young listeners Xbox to review the world services the Forum on the evolution of teenagers.

There is a real opportunity missed in the fact that there weren't any young Voices which is a shame.

I think a teenager on the programme would have added a different perspective but will be putting Anna and Nina as thoughts to the forums producer and we hear your take on the BBC's coverage of the Nigel

Vs.

Coutts bank Saga Alison Rose apologises and is forced to resign and the BBC apologise for their part it on to the BBC Today programme anything.

It's your turn to trivialise in rubbish, but must have been an awful nightmare for the first the question is a simple one.

Where did covid come for the pain the isolation the livelihoods destroyed for every long sufferer for every one of the millions of lives lost the answer matters.

What's the BBC China correspondent when reports of an outbreak of an unknown flu-like illness in Wuhan began to circulate back in December 2019 many scientists the cold virus originated in bats, but I didn't make the leap to humans did transmission begin in a Wuhan wet market selling live animals.

What does the hotly debated?

Of a Chinese lovely still hold weight well those were just some of the questions John said like to answer and his 8 part Radio 4 Series fever the hunt for covid origin.

We've had a lot of response from listeners to this.

I was thrilled to see the BBC devoting an eight part series of podcast The covid Origin issue huge amount of he has the discernment and knowledge.

That's been sadly lacking in most reporting about this issue the debate about colleagues origin has been played by misinformation and outright we really needed this calm collected in-depth examination of the arguments in the evidence for getting interviews with so many of the scientists story it's important to hear what these people actually have to say to have this on record and that's right.

This is a hugely complex subjects the question of politics.

Every aspect of covid yes for me we felt it we felt it when we tried to begin our investigation in China when we tried to speak to you know reach out to some of the Chinese scientists involved in the story when we tried to travel to hang itself both to look at the market origin and the alternative explanation which listeners will be now very familiar with the idea that this may have come as a result of the research accident as we begun to explore all of those things very quickly and no surprise to ours or anybody who's worked as a foreign journalist in charge.

We felt the the full weight of the Chinese state come down on his very quickly and that mentions that much of the Debate has been played by misinformation and propaganda, and I think we really have to talk to you at the Beginning about how difficult it is to report in China from the outset.

Where are you concerned that no in China and it?

how to control information as you do it would be really difficult to get transparency around the origin of the Outbreak you don't set out to be anybody as a journalist I think for me you know I was in China for a decade or so, what really starting to get me into trouble were the investigations the idea that we tried you know to leave Beijing to head out for example on the story which We Touch on a little bit in the podcast the story that was happening in xinjiang the mass incarceration of the uyghur population there the very sensitive subject and it was as a result I think of trying to deliver new lines new information on those kinds of stories and then you know in my last few months in China on Question of covid as well that began to really sort of get me into into hot water with the authority is the

No interview questions, can you stop asking questions if no one piece of reporting that many listeners may well be familiar with is when the W8 show delegation came to China to talk about the origin of the pandemic and you tried to ask questions at a press conference.

I wonder if you think that that contributed to the Chinese state trying to get rid of you.

I need for me that was a little bit of a moment of realisation just to see the political control at work in that press conference on what we all sort of new was this the story of huge global importance the unveiling of the findings of this mission that is gone their to discover where this dreadful disease have come from on all about behalf and to run into this brick wall of.

Call in censorship right there on the floor of of that press conference, but that was a moment of realisation that perhaps my days in in China a number that it was within a few weeks of that press conference that family is listeners will know now from the podcast were eventually forced to leave with some haste and my wife is a desperate to stuff our belongings into suitcases.

We're leaving China in a hurry or most certainly never to return you've tried in this to separate the pollen from the science but to an extent even the scientists can't do that.

I wonder if that's one reason that it's so very hard to get to the truth the politics and the science in this story goes to show that at least asking the question of where this thing came from and asking the question of both of those possibility is the natural origin and the lamp.

Origin is not a conspiracy theory.

It's not a crazy tin.

Hat idea scientist themselves China itself or ask as we now known as the podcast explains that we're asking themselves the very same question from the start as soon as scientists.

This is a conspiracy theory which state is repeatedly to you and to other journalists.

It means that sometimes.

It's harder to actually did you even got some pushback? I think you describing the podcast from some of the Editors at the BBC's from some of your own boss is essentially what was that like when you were trying to pursue it? No, but some of the people even inside BBC management were saying you look I think you're walking up the wrong tree you know it's very difficult I think for journalists for big news organisations sometime we are rightly wary of people who challenge established scientific narratives.

We know from bitter experience that there is very good.

And all sorts of issues too if you like trust the science and in a way as a large so the national broadcaster like the BBC it perhaps makes sense that is where our sort of Instincts and impulses lie, but you know I suppose the short answer to your question is yes, it was a little frustrating at the time to be to feel we were fighting the Chinese state, but fighting that sent this question had sort of already been answered more widely in the media and with some of our editors, but you know that's the job of the journalist sometimes if you think a story matters and you think there's good grounds to ask you something to push on and you know after all is the BBC that allowed me to produce This podcast so if you like we got there in the end.

This is canned on who's a retired civil engineer living in Melbourne Australia or do I have closely follow the Debate among scientists on Twitter I was still captured by John's masterful narrative he died.

Do a complex and highly charged controversy with loom band with the dog and determination to get to the truth about the origin of Coven refreshingly John x no preference for either try and get eco time to both.

He has done extremely well in exposing the complete lack of transparency on the Chinese side in highlighting areas of research related pandemic ending refusing to be autogas by eminent scientists in favour of the market origin unfortunately I found the opening and closing to be somewhat disappointing because I would have liked an assessment of the likelihood of exterior of Origin or it's clear all listeners would like to know more heroes Mary Graham and brown pots and recovered region has been well researched and well presented a podcast with a lot of information.

That is not available.

Standard media and with a very interesting final conclusion that warrant further investigation and John sudworth experience of perspective at the end of the difficulty on the Origin and I really appreciated the different sides of the argument being present but sadly it left me wondering what other gaps there were I think it is fair to say that you believe that the Chinese state may have more scientific has not yet.

Been released that could prove where the pandemic originated.

I think that is fair.

I mean it's great to hear all of those comments from Kent from my from Catherine who we heard from there.

I understand in Tile why they focus on the conclusion and perhaps your that sense at least in one or two of those comments have a site.

Frustration at the podcast didn't finish more definitively the one thing I think both sides agree on today, but there isn't has been at still a lack of transparency from the Chinese authorities goes for an apple origin.

I think it's clear at the start believe that by now.

We would know more similarly those who believe that a lab leak is still possible know very well.

That's were that to be the case clearly we have not been told everything by the Chinese state, so I think that's where we leave the podcast for us to have made a clearer judgement.

I think is very very difficult.

Thank you to John sudworth, and you can listen to fever the hunt for covid origin on BBC signs if you'd like to share your thoughts on this or anything you've BBC audio you can leave a voice message as 334544 standard charges from landlines and mobiles will apply and you can send us a WhatsApp

Using the same number or you can meet us at BBC R4 feedback ideas this week's debate presented by paleoanthropologist Ella al-shamahi looks at the evolution of teenagers and post questions like why do humans have such a long adolescence and what's the point of teenage tanks who better to ask for the reviews on the discussion the 19-year old twins Mila and Emma my name is Mia structure which I'm originally from Glasgow but I'm studying at King's College London and I'm doing religion and politics.

I'm rich.

I'm lost win and I'm studying politics and social anthropology Cambridge University for me the title of the evolution of the teenager.

I think it's an interesting subject.

I'm in this is the Forint for the BBC World Service

Anthropologist until I'm really interested in the big evolutionary questions about teenagers time taking us through the history of teenagers and why we have this period in our life of extended kind of teenage adolescence and I think you know I myself studying anthropology.

I did find it particularly interesting the kind of cultural differences that they and how that shifted throughout history as well.

There was a particular moment where they talked about the term teenager and where it came from and I thought that was really interesting.

I hadn't before that this idea being a teenager was not something that's been around like as a concept for a long time at the end of the second world war America wakes up to the fact that what we would now call youth culture and that you can sell things to it.

It's away if you like a controlling and involving young people and the

Came up with to define this particular definition of use was the teenager I like the part where they were describing the function of being a teenager and how that's different may be compared to humans and the fact that being an adult in as a human is quite complex so the teenage period is longer too kind of give you time to prepare for that, but it may be another animal that is it that complicated to actually there isn't that prolonged period of adolescence in teenage.

Should I thought that was really interesting can something like a gorillas gorillas for both of us in a we both agreed that there is a real opportunity missed in the fact that there weren't any young Voices a lot of the content and cons.

Focused around what it means to be a teenager in the digital age and I think it would have been really interesting and opened up a new space for conversation if they brought in young Voices and perspectives.

I totally agree with that that when you're listening all the title of the program is about the evolution of the teenager all of the parts of of the programme that was speaking about today's period was just kind of about technology and you was a bit frustrating because I kind of I feel that if a teenager was asked it would just be they wouldn't only talk about that and that seems to be what this generation has been boiled down to which is a shame really.

I think of teenage teenager on the programme would have added a different perspective.

Yeah.

I'm just showing that there is actually so much more so much more to life and how we connect on social media and it's just a shame that that wasn't kind of brought out a bit more.

I think it was a real range of outlooks on.

Yeah, I really liked that.

It wasn't just kind of an interview no a one-man kind of interviewing session between questions from the public and one and so I liked the price of people that they brought in and the variety of perspectives that brought a bit of time when you're trying to acquire the skills you need to function independently you need to be very attentive to what's going on in your world and I think that that makes adolescence more responsive to stress and I think it makes them potentially more emotional and I thought I do recognise that in a lot of people in and perhaps at different points and I have as well idea.

Oh, yeah, I agree.

I really liked kind of the segment with a touch on that and I think I could see you know from an evolutionary perspective young people are facing the same emotional stressors, but it's just the car.

Causes are slightly different but you know it's manifesting in the same way in this period of heightened anxiety think protective now.

You know this is something that's touched on climate change and climate which is very real for a lot of young people today.

Yeah, you do have anxieties about what's going on around you specially when you feel like you can't do anything you know you're just a young person.

What can you do to earn? That is definitely something that I think most people most young people today feel it seems that is something in US spiders that makes us believe automatically just transfer our knowledge our experience with children the father from Jordan talks about his advice about maybe parents.

Not you know the feeling that you have to give all of your advice in your you one or your kids to have all of your knowledge straight away and it was and then that lead into a conversation about the worries and anxieties of being a parent to 18.

Famous generation right at the end and I thought that was a nice segway, and it was just a was it was really nice hearing our father putting his giving his own perspective on raising teenagers in this generation right at the end.

We got an interesting discussion about that.

Yeah, I think perhaps the audience for this program was parents or people of an older generation.

I didn't feel they made for this generation.

I'm not sure that I would recommend for a teenager to listen to all of it certainly the history part with interesting but I think that this program death felt like it was catered to older generation especially kind of in the you know tying off of the programme was kind of all about you.

No parents.

You know you don't perhaps are certain things that you don't need to worry about it quite so much which I really appreciated of young person, but I think it could have summed up the audience but it was catered towards.

I don't see why young why they wouldn't want to listen to programs about themselves if there is a perspective that they feel represents them lots of young people listen to podcast and I think that there is not there's not a market for it.

I think if you know Wall TV programmes want to bring in a younger audience what they need is younger boys is well.

Thanks to me little of the program.

It's due in the producer of the four.

It was great to hear feedback because they're right there was an opportunity to to have a young person on in when was using a panel.

We look to get a range of Voices from different specialisms on a given topic and from across the world and so I'm looking to draw together experts from fields of psychology and Social Science and history and so on but I think there was an opportunity to include.

The voice is Pat's in there in the listener contributions which are also Central to the program and we use social media to elicit comments from our audiences in the question.

We asked actually on social media head of the programme was what advice.

Would you give to your teenage self and so I wonder if in hindsight where the question needs mean that we got comments from people looking back on it and their teenage years did get lots of people in their 20s and 7 and lots of comments from concerned parents which and we followed up on an approach.

Yes in conclusion, they said that they felt that it was catering towards an older generation and they did say that they appreciated those concerns of parents and the way that those were dealt with but they would have had a different slant on at particularly on the idea of the way that social media affected their lives.

Do you think that's obviously history program so we're

Looking new to hear from experts about evolutionary history and social history, but absolutely we want to also include the modern-day perspective and so in that sense it would have been great to have had the experiences of teenagers now to do some broader point.

Do you find it? You'll get a lot of feedback on your programs after they go item in this is going well.

We had two teenagers listening to it, but do you find it the form itself gets a lot of feedback about the discussions that you have we don't get direct me to hear this conversation because yeah, it's amazing to have listeners listening so intently and giving such a stupid and thoughtful comments.

I'm in really valuable.

We always love to hear from our audiences and so you know again.

They can get in touch with us Farah BBC before page and we particularly like to hear suggestions for

People might want us to cover.

Thank you so much for doing some feedback.

Thank you and you can listen to the forum anytime on BBC signs.

No, there's no Diet what the hottest topic in the feedback inbox has been this week.

Just let you go Mr Farage you know pretty much whatever you do.

There are people saying this is about to get back into 6 again and he run 7 times of Lost 7 times, but you're the only person in British history is one to national elections leading to different parts.

Are you coming back then? Give you a previous success.

No, I'm now a champion interview with Nigel Farage on Mondays Today programme came off the back of an embarrassing climb down from BBC News over.

It's inaccurate reporting of the reasons for Mr Farage

bank account being closed Nigel Farage bank account shut for falling below, Well Plymouth that was the headline on the BBC News website on the text of the story said this was BBC has been told usually meaning the claim was from a source whose anonymity the broadcaster had chosen to protect but that information was incorrect later Alison Rose the CEO of nat2 own Coutts bank admitted that she had been the source of the story the BBC apologise to Mr Farage who said he accepted the BBC apology with good grace and in his today and have you welcome to resignation of Alison Rose but said others at the bank should also resign for the interview turned out to be a spike your fair and many listeners were less than happy with what they had to choose reference to Radio 4 Today programme with Nick and Mr Farage

True story about why Mr Farage account was cancelled and what can only be in a tattoo disparities name Alison Rose apologises and is forced to resign and BBC apologise for their part Mr Farage was it on to the BBC Today programme to trivialise I'm rubbish, what must have been an awful nightmare for the man not political record and went by Mr Farage tries to pass it off as friendly banter.

Hi guys.

My name is Peter Elliott and I live in in Surrey I am no find of Nigel Farage but good on them for calling out Nick Robinson on his condescending tone.

I am sick of Mr Robinson smug and condescending turn to I just haven't had the opportunity to tell him perhaps you would do that for me.

Hello feedback.

This is Deborah Hackett from June in Perthshire I think the BBC has given more than enough.

This man who let's face it has plenty of time to get his views over on GB news needless to say I stop listening to today and wondered over to Radio Scotland which I want to do these days the BBC has a tendency to act like a terrier shaking its prey and refusing to let go an example is huw Edwards story please items and not always a future national interest in my opinion and Nigel Farage certainly isn't Google tell just a how I'm usually disappointed.

I am with Nick Robinson speaking to Nigel Farage I'm really surprised that you need to do his journalistic job without a personal view anything rude, but this is an individual's confidentiality by NatWest Bank confidentiality broken.

Him if he wanted a guy was the guy who was well.

There's plenty to do with a manager from BBC News the reporting of the original story the use of an anonymous source, what are the BBC's own editorial guidelines have been adhered to in this case and in the today and we asked BBC News if I seen your figure would come on feedback to answer those questions, but they refused instead this statement our coverage analysis of all the issues highlighted as as fair.

We have reflected Mr foragers position throughout our reporting we reported on developments in the story as they have occurred when documents obtained by following his subject access request show the BBC news is initial coverage turned out not to be accurate.

We apologise to Mr Farage and acknowledge this on the BBC corrections and clarifications site.

Dame Alison Rose admission that she had been the source of the BBC's inaccurate information letter resignation as NatWest CEO we believe our portion of this story has been proportionate and legitimate reflecting the significance of the issues at hand are coming up on feedback will be going behind the scenes at the Proms so please do get in touch with your thoughts and comments on what you've been listening and I'll put them to the prom queen herself Katie Derham that's all from this week though.

Thank you very much for listening and for giving us your feedback.

I'm Andrea catherwood the producer is chill Davies and feedback is a whistleblowing Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.

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