20/04/2012 Newswatch

That looks like a really good movie. Now on BBC News it is time for

Welcome to Newswatch. Coming up shortly, it is almost goodbye to

one old friend, 100 more days of built up to a certain sporting

event, and 100 years since the Tanit when -- since the Titanic

went down, more criticism that the BBC went overboard on the

anniversary. Some types of complaint keep recurring, the

perceived tendency of the news channel to stay with one big story

for too long to the exclusion of all others, and the allegation of

too much graphic detail being given about crimes and natural disasters.

A third objection is that BBC News provides publicity for criminals

justifying their actions. Another charge is that of too many report

has been sent on location, sometimes interviewing one another.

On Monday, or four accusations were being levelled about the same event.

The trial of the man who killed 77 people in Norway last July was

always going to attract worldwide attention. It is likely to last 10

weeks, but by mid-morning on the first day many viewers had had

enough after the prosecution lifted -- listed the victims and how they

Andrew Taylor asked, what information and relevance to we

gain from this ceaseless barrage of death delivered monotone by a

translator? Has nothing of note happened elsewhere in the last 24

hours? Although some of the most distressing detail and testimony

was not broadcast, others subjected to the repeated use of the far

right salute seen in court and be in the wake of coverage served as a

It was a danger acknowledged in a conversation on Monday between Jon

Sopel and Oslo and one of his guests. The get the impression that

he is relishing this, that this is exactly what he wants, to be able

to stand up in court. We are giving him the microphone that he wants.

On Monday and Tuesday's lunchtime news, Jon Sopel had another

interviewee, BBC colleague Matthew Has BBC News devoted too many

resources Adalat too much airtime to the trial of Anders Breivik? --

and allowed. And joined by the control of the BBC News Channel,

and in our studio in Jersey is one of the viewers who contacted us

this week. What did you make of the coverage of this event? Why it

concerned me greatly, and it is no fault of you as the transmitters of

what is being purveyed in the court, but it is the prosecution case has

put forward in its explaining in graphic detail the entry and exit

When's of all the injuries inflicted by Anders Breivik on his

hapless victims. -- war wounds. I felt it went too far when it was

repeated time and again. Was too graphic. And was it too much in

terms of the sheer volume of coverage as well? Well, the total

coverage, I understand it is a big news case, and you have got a

present outside the court building. I would have thought it may have

been better, once we had two or three descriptions of the injuries

inflicted on the victims, it may have been better to move to the

outside presenter so that he could have finished off with a summary of

what was going on in the court house behind him. Kevin Bakhurst,

too much detail about the injuries, and necessary detail. I think Mr

Russell obviously has a point. I think the details were quite

upsetting. However, they were as laid out by the prosecution, pretty

straightforward medical details, although the story of each

individual victim is obviously incredibly sad. The difficulty was,

for us, we did consider this during the reading out of this, is to you

look like you are devaluing some of the individual victims by coming

out after three or four and sane, we have had enough of that? Each

individual story, you know, adds to the understanding of what this

killer carried out. Colin Russell, you think there is a danger that by

giving so much attention that you are actually giving this dreadful

person the oxygen of publicity? Well, I think that is a danger that

you are fuelling his desire for the oxygen that he requires to actually

put his very perverted agenda across that he feels he is acting

in his own deluded way in the best interests of his country. Another

viewer has complained to us about you taking a still image of the

right-wing summit and, as he says, turning it into an iconic image.

did not create an iconic image. He did that in court for the first two

days, and it was an image that was picked up by almost every media

organisation, because it was one of the iconic images of him in court.

The viewers and the audience are extremely well-informed,

intelligent. They can listen to the accounts of what he did, they can

see the way he behaves in court, and I have confident they can make

their own judgment about what kind of individual he is. Another dealer

has complained about BBC reporters interviewing each other. -- another

viewer. They are surprised it is still going on in straitened times.

Well, we have three reporters there, Jon Sopel, Matthew Price and Steve

Rosenberg. Jon Sopel was doing all the live coverage for the news

channel and BBC World, and by having him presenting it meant we

could do a joint service for BBC World, so that was the most

efficient way of doing it. Matthew Price was doing the packages for

the news bulletins, which means he cannot do live coverage and after

hour. We would not have been able to do the same the original events.

He has been back to Norway to talk to families who had an interest in

it, and he has an ongoing interest and understanding of the story

itself and good relationships with many of the people involved and

affected. I was keen that his understanding should be brought to

the story. Colin Russell, what have you made of the case that Kevin

Bakhurst has put, and how would you like to see the BBC cover the rest

of this trial, which is expected to last as much as 10 weeks? A Well, I

mean, I appreciate Kevin's explanation as to the coverage, but

it still goes down... I am also concerned that he is talking about

an iconic image. It is dangerous to have an iconic image of the likes

of Anders Breivik. If anything, he should be consigned to the bins of

history, because that is where he belongs. He does not need this...

It is this sort of attention, this is why he went to create his

notoriety about such a callous act. He knew that this is how the media

would react, and we are feeding that desire to achieve his aims.

Colin Russell, in our Jersey Studio, thank you very much. Also thank you

to Kevin Bakhurst. This week's of the analogue signal being turned up

in London and the surrounding areas, one of the last of the switchover.

One consequence was that those affected will no longer be able to

use Ceefax, broadcast on the analogue signal. It has allowed

viewers to see facts since 1974. It is a source of nostalgia for many,

and Kevin Wright called us with this play. Will somebody reconsider

the abolition of the Ceefax pages? I am housebound, there are

thousands and thousands of others like that, no paper deliveries in

this area, so please, please reconsider the abolition of it,

because I do rely on it so much. chance of the decision being

reversed, I am afraid, but then maybe some words of comfort written

by the editor of the BBC News It is still produced by the

editorial team which has long provided Ceefax and the BBC News

website. Whether you are still trying to get tickets to see Usain

Bolt or have booked your summer holiday to avoid the whole thing,

it can scarcely be aware that the London Olympics are looming. On

Wednesday, BBC News reported there were just 100 days to go and tell

the sporting extravaganza. Andy Smerdon is one of a number of

viewers who have written to us It is a subject I am sure we will

be returning to. Before we go, let's revisit one of last week's

topics. You may remember that several viewers felt they had been

too much coverage marking 100 years since the Titanic set sail. On

Sunday, the anniversary of the sinking, it emerged that Andrew

Marr agreed with those objections. We have had films, mini-series,

cruises, pop art magazines. We have been treating this like a national

celebration. Are we going to be doing is for fatal air crashes in

future? I may be alone in his, but I think it has been sorted and

tasteless and very dull, and I hope that after the day we hear nothing

more about this sad story except from the driest of dry historians.

Do you are not alone, Andrew. call for help this time, but the

sound of remembrance. A number of viewers contacted us on Sunday, I

objecting to what they saw as a deluge of Titanic related items.