The BBC was flush with correspondents at the inauguration of President Obama – but why didn’t they let the people speak

Beckett, Charlie

LSE Research Online

2009-1-20BBC silences American people over Obamablogs.lse.ac.uk /polis/2009/01/20/bbc-silences-american-people-over-obama/The BBC was flush with correspondents at the inauguration of President Obama – but why didn’t they letthe people speak?The Ten O’Clock News had Gavin Ewart telling me about a parade without showing it – then back to Huw to burbleon for another couple of minutes before handing to Clive Myrie who also talked all over the pictures.Then on the Newsnight Special we had the generally excellent Matthew Price talking over some picture of peoplecelebrating in Alabama – he kept telling us what various people had said, without letting us from ANY of them speakfor themselves.Here we had an event of great spectacle, that was all about what American people felt and what they said. And yetBBC News thought that we wanted to hear from Mat Frei and Justin Webb – both outstanding correspondents, buton this day I really wanted to see and hear from the President and his people.It’s not surprising that people are getting bored with networked news. By far the best piece all day was on the BBC 2Culture show which simply let the people of Harlem speak for themselves without commentary and without areporter.Copyright © 2014 London School of Economics and Political Science1/1

BBC silences American people over Obama

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