01/03/2013 Newswatch

Time for Newswatch, questions asked about the pictures used of the

balloon accident in Egypt. Hello, welcome to Newswatch. The

drama, the dresses the dreadful acceptance speeches, but no prizes

from some viewers for the BBC's Oscars coverage.

It was a great scrum of journalists from all over the world wanting to

get a word, any word, just to talk to camera. And really there was

nothing substantive said. Others tell us that reporting of the

allegations against Lord Rennard had something of the Savile witch-

hunt about it. And we hear reaction to the hot air balloon accident in

Egypt, with objections to the footage used of the balloon

exploding and falling towards the ground.

First, was Argo really the best film of the past year, did Anne

Hathaway outshine Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet. And did

Breakfast viewers want live updates frequently from the aftershow party.

Those who contacted us did not. We asked one of them, Andrew Gold to

explain why. Tough job Tim, you are doing it this morning. Bring us up-

to-date with the winners and who have you seen so far? Well, as I

speak Eddie Redmayne...On Monday morning I was watching Breakfast TV

and became increasingly frustrated by the diving away from real news

to go across to the Vanity Fair party post-Oscar awards. Breaking

from real news, like the loss of our triple-A credit rating, to Tim

Muffet trying to get celebrities to pass meaningful comment on an

awards ceremony that the BBC doesn't cover, and miserably

failing, not his fault. By that time most people are either tired

or emotional or both and want to get to the party. It is not just

about the triviality of it. But also it seems to me not appropriate,

as a live feed. Given the BBC can't cover the actual ceremony live,

which is afterall the most news worthy part, that everybody's best

interests would be served by recording the post, what they can

get at, the post awards party, editing it and putting that out in

a nicely defined slot. A two-and-a- half year low against the dollar.

We have to go back to Hollywood, Tim as Anne Hathaway with him.

think it moved people, and there is just something about the music of

this that opens people up, and a lot of people chose Togni on the

journey. And your screen type was pretty small. It was disrespectful

to have content interrupted by something that isn't news. There is

a balance issue there. The BBC needs to think seriously about

whether or not the Breakfast programme is more about

entertainment than it is about news. Thanks to viewer Andrew Gold for

his thoughts there. Breakfast told us nobody was available to discuss

this on the programme. But, we were On Thursday Pope Benedict XVI left

office, his departure was followed step-by-step by the news channel,

dominating that output. This had Innuendo was a word used by some in

relation to this story. Nick Clegg admits he was aware of

indirect concerns about the behaviour of a senior Lib Dem. Lord

Rennard denies claims of sexual harassment. Mr Clegg says his party

had nothing to hide. Sam was one of a number of viewers who reacted to

On Tuesday evening pictures emerged of that morning's hot air balloon

crash in Egypt which killed 19 people. The video was filmed by a

tourist in another balloon, and started with this image. News

bulletins then went on to show the moment of explosion and the

deflated balloon starting to fall to the ground. That footage proved

controversial with viewers such who We asked BBC News to discuss the

issue on the programme. We were told no-one was available. We were

We are joined by another viewer who contacted us. What was your

instinctive reaction on seeing that footage? I had been watching the

story throughout the day. It was only later on in the day that the

images came through. I just looked in absolute horror of I couldn't

believe that someone had been so intensive as to broadcast the full

video. I think the video is very clear, whether it is from a

distance or not, you can tell exactly what's happening. You don't

know if you are watching the people perIrish. It was very unnerving to

see. The BBC says two things, they fade to black and you don't see the

descent. They said it was crucial to the story that this footage was

there? I would disagree, the viewers need to be given a certain

level of intellect and can co- relate to seeing a balloon on fire

to the aftermath. I don't think showing the inbetween was vital. It

was very intensive, given that people had just died hours earlier,

to show the entire footage. Completely unnecessary. People can

assume what happened. If perhaps everybody had survived, then there

would have been a perfectly acceptability to show it. That

wasn't the case. Given that virtually everybody died, it was

very insensitive and quite in poor taste and bad judgment to show the

entire footage. One of the other stories that has been emerging over

the course of the end of the week has been the killing of a taxi

driver in South Africa. And his assault of filmed and that has been

broadcast. That is distressing footage of an individual being

mistreated, we know we subsequently died, what is your feelings on

that? Having seen the footage earlier it is grainy. For one it is

not as clear as the balloon. And two, it is showing an issue of

police brutality as it appears. So I think there is a journalistic

need to show something like that, and highlight these issues. Showing

a balloon falling to earth with people you know ultimately die I

don't think it really appropriate. Because it is not highlighting an

issue like that. I don't think it is beneficial. It is clearly at

that point where there is a dispute between what is journalistically

necessary to tell a story properly to an audience on television and a

taste issue. What is the right solution. Would it have been to

show a sequence of stills only of that balloon? That could have been

an option if they wanted to use the full footage. It is very clear. You

can see exactly what is happening, unlike the one in South Africa, as

you mentioned. It isn't as clear what is happening. I think

personally I think just showing the balloon on fire and going into the

report about the aftermath, showing the wreckage on the ground would

have been sufficient. I don't think perhaps even the stills would be a

bit graphic. Finally, perhaps the report that

made the biggest impact on viewers this week, came from Ian Pannell on

Monday's news bulletins. He found victims of the conflict in Syria

living underground. There in the gloom were seven small boys in

hiding. Their father had been killed in the fighting. Their

mother had gone looking for food. But that was hours ago. And the

boys were still waiting, cold, hungry and scared.

TRANSLATION: It is bad here, we are afraid of the bombing and shelling.

That's why we are staying here. boys asked when their mum would be

coming back? It was an impossible question to answer. As we left,

they sat staring at the entrance, waiting.

We have been in touch with Ian Pannell, he told us it is not the

journalists' role to directly intervene in what they witness,

even if it is incredibly difficult. But to report events as honestly

and candidly as they K he and his team asked those in the area to

look after those until their mother returned, and they have tried to

find out what happened after they left. But have not yet received a

reply. That's all from us. Thank you for

all your comments this week. If you want to share your opinions on BBC

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