01/11/2013 Newswatch

NASDAQ feared. Time now for Newswatch.

Welcome to Newswatch. On this week's programme, see you in court,

viewers can watch proceedings and the Court of Appeal but the ball

that benefit either the law or the `` TV journalism?

Saint Jude's storm hit southern Britain on Sunday night but was the

BBC coverage behind? Changes for sentencing of dog

owners. Half staff being getting a rough deal from the BBC?

A Halloween horror show for the more traditionally minded Newsnight

viewers. Before St Jude storm hit, they were widespread predictions

that being a UK's worst for over a decade and there was considerable

damage with hundreds of thousands left without power. Many viewers

felt BBC News exaggerated its impact. Was that connected to how

BBC forecasting had underestimated the storms of 1987?

We asked another viewer who contacted us to go on to go into the

studio together give us her reaction. At least four people have

died in one of the worst storms to tear through southern parts of the

UK in recent years... The extent of coverage was too much and too long.

It was hyped as one of the worst storms since 1987 is a lovely one

was on cue ready to do a report on the storm. I wonder if there was the

better of a bias for the South getting those extended views. With

the same have happened in Scotland, would it have been covered in so

much debt? `` depth. I think some of the reporting was a bit trivial

especially when you have in areas like Syria children dying daily and

then you have a woman being upset because she could not boil her

kettle that morning. There was no value.

We asked BBC news for the response and we were given this statement.

From dangerous weather to dangerous dogs and news of tougher penalties

for orders whose animals seriously injure or kill. Some felt it was

unfair to suggest only certain breeds were involved. One said...

There were more complaints earlier in the week about a story on the BBC

News website on the allegedly tapping of Angela Merkel's forum. ``

phone. From 1925 until this week, it was an

offence to sell or take photographs in court in England or Wales. Even

sketch artists have had to drop from memory but on Thursday that changed

with the first broadcast from the court of appeal. Is this a slippery

slope? We the jury find the defendant, OJ Smpson, not guilty.

Live trial is broadcast around the world have become familiar to us and

Scottish courts have been open to Canada since 1992. I sentence you to

life imprisonment... In England and Wales, apart from the Supreme Court

they have been banned up until this. Strict rules governing the broadcast

which are jointly made for the BBC, ITV, sky. There will be a 72nd delay

before the material is transmitted and judges can exclude cameras if

they think it is in the interests of justice. `` 70 second. One viewer

was less than grep CN... `` gripped saying... Others saw it as a step

forward for justice and journalism but only if it eventually led to the

broadcasting of criminal trials. What do you hope to gain from the

start of cameras in the Court of Appeal? What we hoped to gain was

that we felt that in the 21st`century where pictures are

everywhere and it is an important way of describing things that it

would be useful in terms of showing what open justice means. It is a way

of opening up the courts and increasing people's understanding.

Given all the restrictions some people are saying it is pretty dull.

I have a lot of sympathy for that viewpoint because it was a fairly

dull case and we were doing it just because we could but we will pick

cases on their merits. This could be a bit compromised if you're having

to negotiate all the way through the coverage? It is not so much

negotiating with the courts as with other broadcasters. There is a

presumption they will open themselves up to having covered

whatever we wish to cover. I do not think our editorial and turf ``

editorial control will be interfered with. You ultimately what criminal

trials? It is a sensationalist way of putting it. Long`term, we would

like to be in the crown court doing criminal trials. I can understand

the anxieties that go with that and some of them are absolutely

legitimate, such as the fear that will put off witnesses from

appearing. It is an ordeal enough to go in. We're not talking that. The

legislation does allow that some point for potentially the crown

court to be opened up for sentencing and no more than that, so we would

not see anything like the OJ Smpson trial that the Americans had.

Damon Kennedy `` Dame Kennedy said she is worried that it is ultimately

a slippery slope and you have people that are innocent until proven

guilty. We are allowed to report on what goes on at the moment and what

I would say is that already the public can go in and watch a case.

They are already a lowdown. `` allowed in. Is that not the

difference? Reading it at that removes is different to picture is

being broadcast in every home and the potential media circus there? As

you saw from the case we filmed yesterday, the idea that there was

anything like a media circus surrounding that, that is not going

to happen. It was incredibly polite and arguably through dry and dusty.

I believe we are in the business we are in and that people should be

able to see what it says that we are already using a journalist to report

on. People have what is going on in court reflected through somebody's

perspective. This way they could see for themselves.

Before recall, Halloween on Thursday night was marked by Newsnight in

what is becoming an increasingly attention grabbing style.

That is just about all for this Halloween night. Be careful out

there. MUSIC: "Thriller" by Michael

Jackson. Many viewers went Twitter to see how

you use the wearer by that but others are clearly tiring of these

stunts. One thought it was a case of...

We've invited Newsnight's editor onto the programme to discuss his

approach. He has been unable to join us so far but we hope he will be

here very soon. If you want to share your opinions or volunteer to

appeared, you can contact us on the above.

That's all from us, back to hear your thoughts next week. Goodbye.

Jumped the shark with more wet and windy weather to come. `` it feels

about like the weather has jumped the shark. In the north, clear skies

are you `` a low fog to form. A mild night with temperatures in double

digits in the South. Quite chilly for the North with some frost in

rural areas. A bright start in the north`eastern corner of the UK but

cloud in the West and a wet morning for Northern Ireland.