0:00:03 > 0:00:03the bombing of two Kristian churches. A visit from me. First
0:00:03 > 0:00:04the bombing of two Kristian churches. A visit from me. First of
0:00:04 > 0:00:04churches. A visit from me. First of all,
0:00:04 > 0:00:04churches. A visit from me. First of all, he
0:00:04 > 0:00:04churches. A visit from me. First of all, he is
0:00:04 > 0:00:04churches. A visit from me. First of all, he is his
0:00:04 > 0:00:09churches. A visit from me. First of all, he is his watch.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Hello.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Welcome to Newswatch with me, Samira Ahmed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Viewers say they want policy information, not personal insults.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19But has the BBC's general election coverage already got
0:00:19 > 0:00:23mired in mudslinging - mostly against Jeremy Corbyn?
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And criticisms too about how both French presidential candidates have
0:00:26 > 0:00:34been described on air.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Although the general election campaign still hasn't officially
0:00:36 > 0:00:38started, there was no doubt this week about where the focus
0:00:38 > 0:00:39of politicians and broadcasters lay.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43All the party leaders were out on the stump and facing questions
0:00:43 > 0:00:46on a wide variety of subjects.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49After some pressure on the issue, Tim Farron of the Liberal Democrats
0:00:49 > 0:00:51told the BBC's Eleanor Garnier that he did not believe
0:00:51 > 0:00:55gay sex was a sin.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59I was asked the question early on and I didn't want to get
0:00:59 > 0:01:03into a series of questions, unpicking the theology of the Bible.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Isn't it just that it's your Christian belief
0:01:05 > 0:01:07and you didn't want to admit it?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09No, that's not the case.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12What I want is to make sure that we deal with something
0:01:12 > 0:01:13that's become an issue.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15So this is blatant electioneering?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18It's a sense of understanding that the question was asked to me
0:01:18 > 0:01:20a week ago, I don't think people want political party leaders telling
0:01:21 > 0:01:25them what is and isn't sin.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Some viewers thought that line of questioning
0:01:27 > 0:01:30was excessive or inappropriate.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Maureen Lancaster wrote, "The continual questioning
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and probing of Tim Farron about his beliefs over
0:01:35 > 0:01:38gay sex was intrusive, unneeded and irrelevant.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40He said he doesn't believe it is a sin and that's
0:01:40 > 0:01:42the end of the debate.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45But no, the questioner went on, and on, and on."
0:01:45 > 0:01:46And here's Kevin Steele.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48"The BBC's concentration on the private religious
0:01:48 > 0:01:50beliefs of the leader of the Liberal Democrats over
0:01:50 > 0:01:52a number of programmes, and within their website,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56is grossly unacceptable.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I suspect if Tim Farron was a Muslim or a Jehovah's Witness, or a Jew,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05the BBC would not dream of asking the question, or even reporting it."
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Grace Dalton put it like this, when she rang us this week.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I think it was very, very wrong that the BBC really
0:02:12 > 0:02:14was interrogating him and trying to pressurise him into
0:02:14 > 0:02:17answering a question that is not at all relevant
0:02:17 > 0:02:20to the current election campaign.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25His views on homosexuality have clearly not impacted his policies.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29He is absolutely not in favour of any person of any
0:02:29 > 0:02:33orientation, sexually, being discriminated against.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35So he should not be pressurised into saying something that conflicts
0:02:35 > 0:02:39with his personal beliefs.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42But most of our correspondence this week has been about the treatment
0:02:42 > 0:02:44of the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49Last Friday, deputy political editor John Pienaar was on his tail.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52He stood by what is called the triple lock -
0:02:52 > 0:02:58pensions up every year by inflation, or average earnings, or 2.5%.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Can Labour afford this, along with other promises?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03He hopes he can win this argument.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Sorry, I'm not quite sure where I'm going.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08The use of that comment from Jeremy Corbyn was picked up
0:03:08 > 0:03:12by some viewers who considered it an example of an insidious tendency
0:03:12 > 0:03:14to snipe at the Labour leader.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18One anonymous caller left us this telephone message.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22You make it a cheap shot on Corbyn, just little drops, like "I don't
0:03:22 > 0:03:24know where I'm going."
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It's always seemingly undermining the person's direction.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28That's how I see it.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Subtle things like that.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32You should avoid that, stereotypes that chip away
0:03:32 > 0:03:35a little bit at Corbyn.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Well, BBC News was also getting out and about this week to hear views
0:03:39 > 0:03:41on Jeremy Corbyn from members of the public, several of them
0:03:42 > 0:03:46made their disapproval quite clear.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49As voters focus on choosing their next Prime Minister, some questioned
0:03:49 > 0:03:52the Labour leader's credibility.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54I usually vote Ukip.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56But I will vote Conservative.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Rather than have that idiot, Jeremy Corbyn,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05I'll go for Theresa May.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Like she says, he can only lead a political demonstration,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13but he can't lead his party.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14I've always been Labour, and stuff like that.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18But I can't, he just can't be trusted.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21He just seems like he doesn't know what he's doing.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Well, David Atkinson, among many others, felt that
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Jeremy Corbyn is getting a rough deal from the BBC,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28leaving us this message.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I've been disgusted to see that once again the BBC are allowing people
0:04:31 > 0:04:36to be interviewed who are calling Jeremy Corbyn an idiot.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I can almost guarantee that nobody would be saying the same
0:04:39 > 0:04:43thing about Mrs May, or Mr Farron, or Mr Nuttall,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46any of the other leaders.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48It's absolutely disgraceful that the BBC are so anti-Corbyn.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53They should show him the respect they show Theresa May.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58It's no surprise that Jeremy Corbyn's political opponents
0:04:58 > 0:05:00are not holding back from the personal attacks either.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03On Thursday, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson unleashed his own -
0:05:03 > 0:05:13at the same time introducing many of us to a new term of abuse.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15In the Sun newspaper today, Boris Johnson launched a personal
0:05:15 > 0:05:19attack on the Labour leader, calling him a mutton-headed
0:05:19 > 0:05:22old mugwump who would be calamitous in Downing Street.
0:05:22 > 0:05:32Campaigning in Essex, Mr Corbyn said they were focused
0:05:37 > 0:05:39on serious debate, not name-calling.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Well, a mugwump, in case you're wondering, is a mid-19th century
0:05:41 > 0:05:43word from the Algonquian for "great chief".
0:05:43 > 0:05:46But I think we can assume Mr Johnson meant it in its current sense
0:05:46 > 0:05:48of a person who remains aloof or independent, especially
0:05:48 > 0:05:49from party politics.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Exercising Newswatch viewers though was the issue of whether BBC News
0:05:52 > 0:05:54made too much of that personal comment, thus playing
0:05:54 > 0:05:56into the Conservatives' agenda and trivialising the campaign.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Joan Campbell thought it was the case of "Boris
0:05:59 > 0:06:01doesn't like Jeremy, so was calling him names
0:06:01 > 0:06:03in the playground.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04You have reached the gutter."
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Alistair Leavey asked more generally, "Why so many undermining
0:06:07 > 0:06:10comments about Corbyn?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Theresa May is making the election of personality
0:06:13 > 0:06:16attacks, when it should be an election of government."
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Well, we plan to explore the BBC's election coverage
0:06:18 > 0:06:21with a representative of the news department in the coming weeks.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24But before we leave the subject for now, let's mention
0:06:24 > 0:06:26some complaints made about the corporation's
0:06:26 > 0:06:28social media coverage, a more significant aspect
0:06:28 > 0:06:33of its output than in any previous election.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Last Thursday, the presenter of Radio 4's Today Programme,
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Nick Robinson, posted this on Twitter.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39"No-one should be surprised that Jeremy Corbyn is running
0:06:39 > 0:06:43versus the establishment and is long on passion and short on details.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Story of his life."
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Some wondered whether the former BBC political editor had overstepped
0:06:50 > 0:06:54the bounds of impartiality, with Mark Robson responding,
0:06:54 > 0:06:59"If this is not fake news, but actually Robinson using his BBC
0:06:59 > 0:07:04account to insult Corbyn, it is really unprofessional."
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Nick Robinson responded to objections like that by writing
0:07:06 > 0:07:10the following on Facebook.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12"When I tweeted earlier that people shouldn't be surprised
0:07:12 > 0:07:15by Jeremy Corbyn's approach, as it was the story of his life,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17some read it as being pejorative and evidence
0:07:17 > 0:07:19of establishment sneering.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I meant no such thing.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25My point was that the Labour leader is doing what he has done
0:07:25 > 0:07:27for decades, and what brought him huge unexpected success
0:07:27 > 0:07:30in his party, so no-one should expect him now
0:07:30 > 0:07:31to change his approach.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I, on the other hand, will read my tweets twice to check
0:07:33 > 0:07:37they don't read as if I mean something I never intended."
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Meanwhile, the current BBC political editor, Laura Kuenssberg,
0:07:40 > 0:07:46also faced criticism after tweeting as follows on Monday.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48"Corbyn in Scotland today, May not on the stump.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Seems Tory strategy this morning to let Labour
0:07:50 > 0:07:54stew in its own juice."
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Hugh Yeager was one of those objecting to that wording,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58commenting, "Balanced reporters say Theresa May hides while
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Jeremy Corbyn campaigns.
0:08:02 > 0:08:08Laura Kuenssberg's pro-Conservative comments personify bias at BBC."
0:08:08 > 0:08:11So, is there a danger of tweets like this from BBC journalists,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14with their requirement for brevity, infringing the corporation's
0:08:14 > 0:08:20guidelines on fairness and balance?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22We put that complaint to BBC News, who told us...
0:08:22 > 0:08:25"With her tweet, Laura Kuenssberg was simply making the point that
0:08:25 > 0:08:28because of the conflicting positions on Trident within the Labour Party,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30the Conservatives have made a conscious decision not to engage
0:08:30 > 0:08:33on the issue at that time."
0:08:33 > 0:08:39Do let us know your thoughts on the use of social media by BBC
0:08:39 > 0:08:43News, any aspect of the BBC's election coverage, or, indeed,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46anything that concerns you or delights you which you see
0:08:46 > 0:08:51on news bulletins, programmes or online.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Stay tuned for details of how to get in touch with us.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Now, of course, the battle for seats in Westminster is not the only
0:08:57 > 0:08:59election around at the moment.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01On Monday, Lucy Williamson reported from Paris
0:09:01 > 0:09:07following the first round of voting for France's new president.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Two years ago, he was a new face in politics.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12In two weeks, he could be the new President of France.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Last night, Emmanuel Macron arrived for his victory
0:09:16 > 0:09:19speech with his wife, Brigitte.
0:09:19 > 0:09:2624 years older than him, she was once his drama teacher.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28But one comment made there, and not infrequently
0:09:28 > 0:09:33elsewhere in the coverage, annoyed Margaret, who wondered,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35"Why was it felt necessary to mention that the French election
0:09:35 > 0:09:39winner Emmanuel Macron had a wife who was 24 years older than him?"
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Richard Spooner agreed, calling the reference ageist,
0:09:42 > 0:09:47sexist and certainly unacceptable.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Going through to the run-off with Mr Macron is...
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Well, this is how Europe editor Katya Adler described
0:09:53 > 0:09:57her on Sunday night.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Far-right Marine Le Pen, anti-immigration,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02anti-globalisation and anti-EU.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Her presidential plan?
0:10:04 > 0:10:09France for the French.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12That first epithet caught the attention of James Williams,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14who e-mailed, "The media often use the term far-right to
0:10:14 > 0:10:16describe certain political figures and movements.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Please could you define this term?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21What does it mean?"
0:10:21 > 0:10:23That's another question we may well return to Newswatch.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26But, in the meantime, one last comment about the BBC's
0:10:26 > 0:10:30coverage of the French election from John Trueman.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"Can you please explain why the BBC repeatedly said the French
0:10:33 > 0:10:37election's first round was won by the two outsiders?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Going into the final day, the two candidates who eventually
0:10:39 > 0:10:42went through to the second stage were actually first and second
0:10:42 > 0:10:44favourites with all the bookmakers.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46It seems sensationalist headlines are required at all times."
0:10:46 > 0:10:50This weekend marks 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And it's certainly been a busy and controversial start
0:10:54 > 0:11:00to his term in office.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02BBC News marked the anniversary this week with a number
0:11:02 > 0:11:04of reports and programmes, including a Panorama special
0:11:04 > 0:11:06confronted by Jeremy Paxman.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And this raised again among viewers an argument we've had before,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11articulated here by Angela Merrick.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14"The BBC has consistently been rude and arrogant towards Trump
0:11:14 > 0:11:17since he won the election.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20The BBC does not like Trump and takes any and every opportunity
0:11:20 > 0:11:23to criticise and show Donald Trump in a very unfavourable light."
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Thanks for all your comments this week.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29If you to want to share your opinions on BBC News
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and current affairs, or even appear on the programme,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35you can call us on 0370 010 6676, or e-mail newswatch@bbc.co.uk.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37You can find us on Twitter at @NewswatchBBC, and do
0:11:37 > 0:11:40have a look at our website, the address for that is
0:11:40 > 0:11:41bbc.co.uk/newswatch.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And you can search for and watch previous discussions
0:11:44 > 0:11:52we've recorded there.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53That's all from us.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55We'll be back to hear your thoughts about BBC News
0:11:55 > 0:11:56coverage again next week.
0:11:56 > 0:12:06Goodbye.