Read this: The US election, and the end of Open Book

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts, it's over the United States has elected it's 47th President Donald Trump will be hearing how the BBC coverage fared and as Radio 4 open book ends much to the dismay of many listeners.

We have news of brand new replacement know it's finally been decided after all the drama of the last 6-months in America Tuesday night's results told us Donald Trump will be the best present once again the election process which last way longer than the run-up to the British election has had many of you contacting us for quite a while now.

He said he was going to help heal is every citizen.

He was going to fight for them Americans going to be strong safe and prosperous.

Call Radio 4 listen, please, please please stop this interminable preoccupation with trump he thrives on the oxygen of publicity take it away from thousands of invited guests watch the big screens as the result scored in cheering every stage called in favour of the former President Trump campaign.

He's a jerk, but he does represents 50% of the American population has been cracking jokes on Saturday Night Live he has been accusing us of demonic from Cambridge on Donald Trump and Madison Square Garden speakers racist jokes and comments as the Antichrist degenerate and the enemy within the following morning the 9 a.m.

News on BBC Radio 4 summarises this event with a single sentence.

That's a really last night Donald Trump announced.

It's intention to reduce inflation you think Donald Trump is a Radio 4 schedule is given over to coverage of USA politics and the election only this afternoon.

We've had an American paradox followed by Mariana in conspiracy land like the upcoming US presidential election don't just play out on social media often.

It's actually the other way round here calling from Bristol election coverage has been very good, but there has been rather a lot of it and there are lots of other elections in the world.

If this is the most dramatic comeback in American history.

What a shame to Leeds please, please after a selection can we only have programmes about America pro-rata 12-14 every program about the UK broadcast in the States but the amount of coverage of the US elections the results of the 2024 US presidential election will have a huge impact on all of us inside the US in the UK in the Middle East and across the world the BBC has a duty to report on the US election campaign and the results informing audiences of breaking news significant events and analysis.

News platforms the US election cycle is longer than in the UK starting 1 year before with the start of the campaigning and our coverage reflects the length tone and character of pains and the nominees this campaign period has been particularly eventful with to attempted assassination attempts on trump and with Harris replacing Biden as the Democratic candidate Julie covered the significant events in the run-up to the results.

We know our audiences are interested in the US election and we may consider decisions on how to bounce the stories of the day and on the main UK stories of the day recently this is included the first labour budget and the appointment of a new conservative leader we will continue to listen to audience feedback no in the case of UK general elections reporters produces editors all the Tier 2 very strict BBC election guidelines especially on matters of fairness balance and impartiality but when it comes to.

Campaign in the States like the one we just gone through.

How does the BBC approach its coverage and how did it fair in a case of trump vs.

Harris is Rick Bailey who's the chief advisor of politics at BBC editorial policy welcome to feedback can I just ask you that title chief advisor of politics at BBC editorial policy that give you in the BBC's coverage of the US elections so advice to programs and program makers journalists about how to make sure that the output is consistent with the guidelines and with Ofcom for instance so we are there to give advice if asks sometimes even when not asked so that our programs are consistent with our own guidelines, but it's very important to say that the

Always made by editors, so we don't sign anything off.

We don't oversee we don't monitor we just give advice and then editors make those judgements in the last few weeks as the deadline for voting as closer in the US many of our listeners have noticed it's been more about the valleys razzmatazz rhetoric that has about policies and I suppose as UK citizens don't actually there is no obligation on the BBC to inform about policies in the way there would be in a UK election there are some very particular aspects of what I program make it need to think in a UK election but the guidelines also say that those principles that we have a furnace and impartiality should also apply for other actions outside the UK know that isn't it a blueprint for a very exact set of Rules but it is a commitment to those principles of fairness and impartiality.

Taking account of whatever circumstances there are and which other country times to be at to make sure that that core responsibility for the BBC to be fair impartial is the same and you know part of that is is properly informing and reporting you know that the nature of American elections is the rallies and so on yeah, that's part of the story podcast as well as many other BBC Correspondents have been on the ground for a while and here's part of an interesting exchange between one of the hosts Justin Webb former, North American editor and Marianna spring who's the BBC social media investigations correspondent, it was on last Saturday's America answers and they were tackling a couple of listeners questions on the BBC's approach to fairness and impartiality.

Why has the media covered the two candidates so differently trump seems to get away with most of what he says and does as just as well as trump barely any mention of his age.

Climie into the garbage truck every move and word pass by experts and there's a Biden to why the double standard.

Thanks Americas from Perth Western Australia and the question is quite similar to that so will answer them both in one go is one that come from Kirsten and Kirsten says do you ever worry that I'm trying so hard to be balanced in the US election your normalising Trump's rhetoric.

We get into treating him completely differently because of the things he said and done in the past.

We lose all of his supporters and we lose the ability have any kind of sway with anyone who is remotely impartial or supportive and to analyse the impact and to see it all as it plays out does the BBC have double standards in the way that deals with Donald Trump

Time is confused by the idea that you know you have to achieve balance and of course you know you don't want to be imbalanced, but impartiality is much more subtle and complicated than that the idea that you treat both candidates all candidates identically isn't necessarily the same thing as being partial.

You know what you have to ensure you're doing in any election is that making consistent editorial judgements about how you're covering now that you know may well mean the difficult questions for trump.

I'm going to be very different the difficult questions for Harris you know those areas where you have questions over one candidate may be very different to the other so it's about the consistency of judgement and applying that Without Fear or favour.

There.

Isn't some sort of Magic formula.

Which is mathematical.

Whereby you can a stopwatch one side and stop what's the other and you say well, that's that's fair and balanced.

That's not the same as really punctuality Donald Trump is quite difficult to cover isn't even our listeners are asking if he has been in his his rhetoric and his behaviour been held to the same standard as candidate Paris or other presidential candidates in the past of course.

It's challenging and especially in the new please confirm Rogerson in United very polarised politics and the way you social media has changed a lot of the dialogue of course these things are can be really challenging but I think you have to approach the way you cover those campaigns looking at the evidence looking at what the searching questions are what appropriate scrutiny is and applying that as appropriate to the different campaigns in a consistent way, so I think I might always done that and I think a lot of the the audience Response Early stage 2 what happened would seem to suggest.

Has happened Bailey chief advisor of politics at BBC editorial policy? Thank you very much for joining us on feedback.

No, I'm really keen to hear your thoughts on anything to do with BBC audio a very easy way to get in touch it to send a WhatsApp voice note on xero 334544 you can also ring the same number and leave a voice message or you can send us an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk and it's at BBC R4 feedback on social media now a quarter of a century on becomes the final chapter of open Broken during that time we have been reading tirelessly Reading from white teeth to waterfall a toman to Americana open book Radio 4 programme books and the Business of publishing began in 1998, but then it was presented by Hugh Carpenter best known as the biography of j.r.r.

Tolkien hello and welcome to radio.

Pause new program devoted to Reading of all kinds magazines as well as books with some reggae hits for the would be writer today and many of you have been telling us hide is made.

You are the open book has come to an end without it seems much more Joanne coakley cork open book ending a real tragedy for BBC Radio 4.

I'm truly blessed baby from Banbury I want to complain about open book been axed.

Why it was a brilliant programme and I miss it so much recently the week got change to an inconvenient time and now this it's very disappointing hello feedback team this is Emily Jameson I live in Warwickshire I'm contacting you to grumble but open book has been taken off air it seems an example of the BBC dumbing down and as far as I can make out it leave.

A good read as a program dedicated purely to books I live in Melbourne Australia and Oxford UK first of all I would like to say a big.

Thank you to you for your fantastic program.

Which has been a lovely company to me for many years it is with great disappointment that they heard the news about the final we need more programs about the books.

Is there a chance that Radio 4 would reconsider keep listening as we've got some exclusive news about what is replacing open book before we get there.

I called up with mariella Frostrup in many of you.

I'm sure will remember presented the program for 18 of its 26 years before leaving the BBC in 2020 hello welcome to my grand finale as I depart open book for pastures new will be on top of the guest list for a book launch party and hear about an author.

Revival at the Admirable age of 88 mariella, Frostrup may have been away for a few years, but it's clear that the experience of presenting the program has left a lasting impression.

Can you tell me what open book is set out to achieve when she joined the team making an accessible programme about new books coming out but also the wealth of past publications with s in many ways come up with different ways to entice listeners into the world of books not just be preaching to the already converted and which were the challenge.

I think we accepted with grey trellis and did very well with actually cuddles listeners.

Have commented that opened pointed them to writers and books that they wouldn't mind otherwise was that one of the joys of doing the program.

It was absolutely when the joys of doing the program and it was very much thanks to a long series of Incredible producers.

I had you were just so immersed in the world of bugs in every week with managed to surprise me with finding some new connection or some new topic.

You know they booked the best gas that we're around but I think it was their creative energy and we'll to sort of pulling all the different aspects of the world and we had a reading clinic and we had to fight very hard to do a lot of money was never there but we managed to do some really fantastic.

I remember Moscow at party in Brazil in 25 minutes to deliver it is masterclass on from Moscow and compression contemporary literature as well as past and from paraty.

I mean just an absolute cornucopia, South American writers.

So I think really it was just about getting as much time in there as we could you know we wanted to very much be across the board booking.

We will never snotty about books you know we have plenty of commercial authors on as well, so I did was that embrace of of Reading and books in the same way that listeners digestion that that that I think we've managed to create the names that we all know who did you really enjoy interviewing great day as I called them.

We're always the most interesting Beryl Bainbridge Doris lessing remember interviewing sybille Bedford to Chelsea Chelsea and memoirist Neptune and the King's Road and I'm just talking about this incredible era and a sadly died a few months later Diana athill I mean of Extraordinary and a privilege to get to interview her.

Just as she was moving and positioning the next day.

She was moving from her flat in in London into a home because she felt she needed to be cared for and that was how to reduce in our life x collection of books 4:50 titles to take to her a care home.

I'm sure you know today that the books are huge on tiktok is loads of influences showcasing their favourites and very different style from open book there are plenty of podcasts, so as a long time presenter on radio.

What would you? What? Would you suggest to Radio 4 that they can do to ensure that listeners still turn to that station for books rather than all those other recommendations that you can get certain social media an interesting thing to sort it out the Crown Jewels and reinvent the most.

That's what you want to do in terms of encouraging listeners to listen.

What's been a parent in the week or so?

Since it was announced that it has an incredible for listeners still and you know what program is a book program that you couldn't there's only so many ways you could he came tragedies you know I think that you know it's really important to ensure that you get those trouble with these people want to hear about them, but I think it's almost important and Saturday as important to have that diversity of Voices imaginative ideas that could get the books in the past and the present United that there isn't this this is this week already dealing with autism on a book tour but you can bring them well book history and as well.

That's fine to make a great book program.

You just need to have a brilliant producers that I had and the enthusiasm of a presenter and and creative centre that what you want to make my thanks to mariella Frostrup former presenter.

Open book my night is Matthew Dodd commissioning editor for arts on Radio 4 Matthew welcome back to feedback speaks from many listeners, when she says that the first cheat heard that open book was being axed was when it was referred to on what turned out to be the programs last ever episode, what was the first Jackson no reason was given so perhaps the BBC could explain so can I ask you on her behalf to do just that? Thank you and you and you know obviously we know how much books and literally programs matter to Radio 4 listeners and obviously people looking for the good news is there is a new Radio 4 book programme coming in exactly the same length as open book which starts later this month and so there's no dominion of the of the book coverage on Radio 4 open book has been a fantastic.

25 years on Radio 4 but you know we've been going through a process of renewing and changing our hearts coverage over the last few years because it's so important to Radio 4 because it's a part of what we do hello feedback.

This is an wearing from Streatham tuned in to open boot last Sunday and it was rather surprised to hear it was the last ever episode open book of something different to other book programs in podcasts, which tend to be there by commercial priorities and friends on Jools what was wrong with open book.

There's nothing wrong with it at all.

It was wonderful program and mariella and the other presenters did a great job but you know things change I book coverage.

We want to do something wrong with it.

Just as we wanted to do different things where else asked coverage and that has only strengthen what we do to tell us.

What this new program entails then, what's so different about it, so what's going to happen?

We've got a new program which will be coming from Scotland which which will be presented by the author James Crawford and like open book will be looking new books talking to authors about their new works, but will also be getting pine the writing of those new books and the kind of influences that new the authors with their new books have come under the books like the kind of things that have shaped their writing over the years open book with its enthusiastic presenters of introduced me to numerous books literary techniques festivals prices and so on I will slowly miss it as we love listens to judge by comments on social media.

No one of the things that I booked it was at interviews some of the world's top international authors with the list of authors that they interviewed over the years was incredible all the winners of the book of the Pulitzer and Nobel prizes.

While many of blood the general idea of moving programs out of London I wonder if this program in particular, what your interview in top international authors some of the time.

What's more likely really fair honest to be in London to be in Scotland does that mean you're happy to have them done by zoom rather than face-to-face.

Yeah.

I mean I think that you know we already have launched a 1 additional front row all week from Scotland and that doesn't change anything in terms of the high calibre of the guests in the people.

We talk to and that's exactly the same with this program single in terms of guests and sell on nothing will be lost by having a program from school.

I am also concerned about long-running book programs name me a good read and book club these programs under threat was listener and wearing says she's concerned about other long-running book programs.

Can you reassure her? Yes, I can book club continues.

You know just had another edition.

That continues and a good read continues as well like the acting of blowing action which disappeared without much fun for many years and had a much-loved presenter and Joshua Rosenberg how many of our listeners were very upset about that a new program called the law show is appearing and it looks like it's covering much the same grind.

So is this a trend that we might see with other wrong running programs.

No I mean when we make these changes we really think hard about them.

It's not done and they're all done for good reasons which in this case is to enhance but coverage on Radio 4 to bring even more listens to his programs and to show that you know at the forefront of of showing what amazing books and discovered by people Matthew Dodd commissioning editor for arts on Radio 4.

Just three weeks to go before we close nominations for the feedback interview of the year.

This is your award and your chance to tell us about a BBC Radio 4 podcast interview made an impact on you talking at your heartstrings would changing your perspective on a big issue one person who sent in a nomination was Christina on the day that the Phase 2 report from the grenfell enquiry was published Today programme interview with George Clarke the architect and TV presenter who lives very close to Grantham hello, my name is Christina Roshni Staines in Middlesex I've had to write to you to tell you how much I appreciate it and the Bandits interview with George Clarke on the Today programme on the 4th of September it's quite a day, please.

Hope it could be despite.

How long it's taken a real Turning Point for social housing.

What is the state of play and what do you want to see from the new government?

I don't know if we've got any option about that.

I think rental has just sent shockwaves through the entire housing industry and we realise that there needs to be massive change every governments for the last 40 years hasn't job regarding proper social housing for vulnerable social rent every word he spoke with spot on every sentence made an excellent point and he put the grenfell disaster and building safety so so well.

I really admire him now.

You can take in a whole box of firelighters from a DIY store that use in a barbecue and just left the building an app.

That's basically what was that simple for whatever reason why that happens weather was cost weather is deregulation negligence and people just not been aware of it where the people were aware of it and still continue to specify that the two who knows but that is the fundamental flaw about what happened shocking statistics.

The fact that 40% of houses sold under right to buy a now in the hands of private landlords, should be something that people should be up in Arms about 1.7 billion a year in temporary housing accommodation.

That's how much it costs encounters across the country and at the same time you've got private landlords and 7 billion pounds between 2021 and 2026 and rent from the benefit system, so there's an enormous amount of money around but it's going to the wrong place and what should really happen as a massive investment in social housing cross better than a lot of people say sorry about the country code for that the others normally there's no money.

It's actually load of rubbish because I've seen as an investment in the country that even owned figures say that if we build 90000 houses for sale social rent per year that could put 51 billion pounds on the economy, and I really think that George Clarke should be.

The housing minister George Clarke architect writable cars, thank you.

Well.

There's still time for you to tell us about an interview.

That's caught your attention from anywhere across BBC audio and that includes radio and podcast tell us why it made an impact on you by email at feedback at bbc.co.uk via WhatsApp 0343 444 5440 call Hassan leave a message also at 0343 444 5486 you and if you hit the subscribe button that appear automatically each week in your feet on BBC signs, but that's all for this week.

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