21/06/2013 Newswatch

this. Now it is time for Newswatch. This

week, by Prince Philip interrupted a inspirational speech by the

president of the United States has been interrupted mid-sentence by

this? He is walking steadily across the pavement. How are you, sir?

Did Andrew Neil give the EDL leader to harder time on the Sunday

Politics? And is Russell Brand the right sort

of person to invite on Question Time?

There was considerable excitement in Belfast on Monday as President Obama

arrived on his first official visit to Northern Ireland for the G8

summit. His first appointment was addressing a -- an audience of young

people and dignitaries, a speech shown live on the news channel.

In today's hyper connected world, what happens here has an impact on

lives far from these green shores. If you continue your courageous path

are just going to leave Belfast and take you to London, where the Duke

of Edinburgh is leaving hospital ten days after he was at miss it. Our

correspondent there is Peter Hunt. He is walking steadily across the

pavement. Into the car. He is carrying a book. How are you, sir?

And so came them none, but several channel on Monday morning was Simon

Waldman, he joins me now. Explain to me why you make that decision to cut

away from Obama's speech. One of the purposes of the news channel is to

bring breaking news and live pictures to the audience. I think

that the departure of the Duke from hospital tick the box in both those

categories. It was both breaking news and it was live. Technically,

yes, but it was very small news and everyone knew he was going to be

leaving. Nobody expected him to say anything. We still don't know what

his condition was. The commentary: The door is closing, the traffic is

resuming... Is that really more important than the president of the

United States? It was a half-hour speech which we have been trailing

heavily all morning because he thought it was an interesting event

for the viewers. Bar the 92nd in the middle of it when we showed that

Duke leaving hospital, we took the whole speech. But there you have the

disjointed viewing experience that people complain about. Either you

will give them the event when watching this speech is part of it,

or you are not. He is 92 years old, it is his third trip to hospital in

the last few months, he is worried to Monaco of the realm and there

have been bit concerned about his health. -- in Monaco of the realm. I

thought it was justifiable to break in briefly to the live event of

Obama's speech, which was a fascinating and lifting and

inspiring speech. It was not new policy. But you even interrupted him

in mid-sentence. The Cavalier lead cut away for something which view is

regarded in comparison as not very important. It could have been

scrawled as a piece of information. Clearly, it created a disjointed

viewing experience, for which I am sorry. We try to make it as smooth

as possible by splitting the screen so that you have Obama on one side,

but we show the door with the Prince walking out. We went to it and we

judged this very carefully, and at the last possible moment, so as to

be away from Obama for as little time as possible. These

technicalities, but the bigger concern is that they -- viewers

think you are devaluing the concept of breaking news by cutting away

every time something happens. something that we do consider and

think about, and there is a much deeper debate about what constitutes

breaking news, what constitutes something that you will break into a

live event for that you will interrupt your preplanned series of

stories for, you're running order, four. We think about it carefully

and I think there is a danger that the currency can become devalued. If

you should a red strap on the screen saying breaking news all the time,

you do devalued the currency, but I think fine breaking news is

something that is still happening absolutely now. I have a rule of

thumb, I'm not sure if it is policy or not, but if something is not

worth reporting in some form in an hour's time, then it's probably not

worth breaking now. I'm sorry, but the Duke leaving hospital at 92

years of age, was, to my mind, breaking news. Simon Waldman, thank

you very much. Do tell us what you think of the

news channel's policy on breaking News or any other issues that catch

your eye. Details of how to contact us at the end of the programme.

The G8 meeting, for which President Obama visited Northern Ireland, gave

rise to another set of complaints on reported in the press was not

confirmed or denied by the BBC. A spokesman did respond that staff at

the summit were reporting for a wide range of outlets and audiences on

this globally important story. Last week I spoke to Andrew Neil

about criticisms of a discussion he chaired for the Sunday Politics, and

this week, another interview on his programme with Tommy Robinson of the

English Defence League, was in the firing line. You always claiming

that the ADL is not racist fascist. -- EDL. Racial epithets have been

slung all over the place. No, they don't... You intimidate ordinary

Muslims. He behaved like fascists. After what happened in Woolwich, we

could have chosen to go into East London... More than 200 viewers

contacted the BBC to say they thought that the baby -- the

interview was too aggressive. We asked one of them to go into our

vetting studio to explain his reaction to Andrew Neil's line of

some sort of outburst. As the interview developed, rather than

Andrew Neil actually taking on board Robinson's responses and then

dealing with those, he seemed more concerned with his own agenda and

the points that he wanted to get through. Following the Robinson

interview, Andrew Neil moved over to interview the gentleman from the

Muslim Council. I felt he conducted that in a very dignified and benign

way. He allowed the gentleman to complete all of his responses before

moving on, and that really was in complete contrast to the way in

which she handled the interview with Robinson. I do think that sort of

unbalanced interviewing actors give people like the EDL the opportunity

which they shouldn't have two cry out that they have been treated

unfairly. -- to cry out. We asked Andrew Neil for a response,

moved on from Northern Ireland to Berlin, where, on a hot day, he gave

a speech. Afterwards, the 6pm news turns to its man on the spot.

North American editor was watching North American editor was watching

and he joins Some people thought that Mark Mardell's on-screen

appearance left much to be divided increasingly putting celebrities on

that panel. Last Thursday's position included bigger media and Russell

Brand. The Augean of anchor bashing is what we are in for. An old of any

kind would be great, but one that focuses on banker bashing would be

the best kind or GI could imagine. What you said, mate, was wicked,

saying that the system encourages that kind of behaviour.

Some people thought he was not a suitable contributor to the

programme, with Pauline Findlay week. If you want to share your

opinions on BBC News and current affairs or even appear on the

programme, you can call us on the telephone or e-mail us. And you can