The Newsroom

Beirut Explosion

News Coverage (August 2020)

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SC
scottishtv Founding member
I know the BBC gets a kicking a lot of the time, but I thought that last night's Ten was exceptional. Starting with a report by Quentin Sommerville - the snapshot of "what happened" and the reaction, then an explainer about the chemicals and how the explosion might have happened from David Shukman and experts. After that, a brilliant report on the wider context of a Lebanon and political instability by Jeremy Bowen, followed up with a live update from Carine Torbey on the situation. As a viewer, I couldn't ask for more.

For me, catching a well-edited network news programme is still preferable to hours of rolling news and speculation, sketchy online stories or hopeless social media 'moments'. Excellent reporting, well presented.
BA
Batavia
For me, catching a well-edited network news programme is still preferable to hours of rolling news and speculation, sketchy online stories or hopeless social media 'moments'. Excellent reporting, well presented.


I agree entirely, but probably didn't feel the same way until this year. Is it possible that we're at a stage where network news, especially the 10, have increased the quality of their broadcasts while some rolling channels have declined?
IT
itsrobert Founding member
There has always been something to be said for a well researched and produced news bulletin. It's why I never subscribed to the view that rolling news and social media would bring about the end of main network news bulletins. They're just no substitute for the carefully checked, curated, balanced information and analysis that network bulletins provide.
FC
FrancesC
I know the BBC gets a kicking a lot of the time, but I thought that last night's Ten was exceptional. Starting with a report by Quentin Sommerville - the snapshot of "what happened" and the reaction, then an explainer about the chemicals and how the explosion might have happened from David Shukman and experts. After that, a brilliant report on the wider context of a Lebanon and political instability by Jeremy Bowen, followed up with a live update from Carine Torbey on the situation. As a viewer, I couldn't ask for more.

For me, catching a well-edited network news programme is still preferable to hours of rolling news and speculation, sketchy online stories or hopeless social media 'moments'. Excellent reporting, well presented.

That’s why a detailed and structured could not be replaced by sort of things like rolling news and social media. Just like a regular meal and a snack.

For me, catching a well-edited network news programme is still preferable to hours of rolling news and speculation, sketchy online stories or hopeless social media 'moments'. Excellent reporting, well presented.


I agree entirely, but probably didn't feel the same way until this year. Is it possible that we're at a stage where network news, especially the 10, have increased the quality of their broadcasts while some rolling channels have declined?

Bulletins are just keeping their qualities. Although the Ten is now extended from 25 minutes to 30 minutes on weekdays, we don’t know whether the length will be kept when we return to the normal.
CI
cityprod
There has always been something to be said for a well researched and produced news bulletin. It's why I never subscribed to the view that rolling news and social media would bring about the end of main network news bulletins. They're just no substitute for the carefully checked, curated, balanced information and analysis that network bulletins provide.


This was why I always thought it was a mistake to remove the short updates from the BBC, ITV and Channel 5, cos not everybody wants rolling news, a quick update of the top stories has as much value, if not more than continuous rolling news. Radio does this so well, and TV has in the past done it well too, but has forgotten about doing this, cos the longer bulletins are perceived to have more value to them, and I don't think that's always true. I've looked at old CBS Newsbreaks, ABC News Briefs and NBC News Updates, Capsules, Digests and At This Hours, as well, and I truly think the short form news update is something that TV could do at any time.
BR
Brekkie
C5 especially should never have removed their hourly updates - that was the whole selling point of their news service and a way to perhaps drive people to content who wouldn't be watching the channel otherwise. It was no coincidence they were scheduled at :58 rather than :00 so they usually coincided with the breaks in programmings on the other channels.

And I'd much rather see a brief update at 11am on BBC1 than three hours of simulcast news on BBC2 - they ultimately serve a different audience and therefore serve the audience better. And although I think it could similarly be reintroduced during This Morning at least on ITV the top stories of the day are usually covered, though in a discussion format, during the live daytime shows, so there isn't a complete void of news between GMB and the 1.30pm bulletin.
NE
Newsroom
C5 especially should never have removed their hourly updates - that was the whole selling point of their news service and a way to perhaps drive people to content who wouldn't be watching the channel otherwise. It was no coincidence they were scheduled at :58 rather than :00 so they usually coincided with the breaks in programmings on the other channels.

And I'd much rather see a brief update at 11am on BBC1 than three hours of simulcast news on BBC2 - they ultimately serve a different audience and therefore serve the audience better. And although I think it could similarly be reintroduced during This Morning at least on ITV the top stories of the day are usually covered, though in a discussion format, during the live daytime shows, so there isn't a complete void of news between GMB and the 1.30pm bulletin.


Totally agreed on the reintroduction of news summaries on both channels. Same goes for reintroducing a summary mid afternoon on ITV.
CM
cmthwtv
I never watch BBC One daytime - was their an update at 11 done by the presenter of the One and then an update at 15 on BBC Two by the presenter of the Six? I do of course remember the 90s update at 20:00 - trying to appeal to younger audiences - which I doubt it ever did.
ST
Steve Founding member
I never watch BBC One daytime - was their an update at 11 done by the presenter of the One and then an update at 15 on BBC Two by the presenter of the Six? I do of course remember the 90s update at 20:00 - trying to appeal to younger audiences - which I doubt it ever did.


Yes - from 1999 - the morning updates were done by the 1pm presenter, the 3.25pm by the 6pm presenter (usually, there were exceptions obviously).
SO
Soupnzi
C5 only keep their updates at about 1955 and just before 2100 now, but I assume it’s to make up annual quotas of news minutes in prime time...and also so extra breaks can be put either side like the ITV2/3/4 showbiz updates?
:-(
A former member
C5 only keep their updates at about 1955 and just before 2100 now, but I assume it’s to make up annual quotas of news minutes in prime time...and also so extra breaks can be put either side like the ITV2/3/4 showbiz updates?

Would be nice if they just did things because they were the right thing to do, rather than making up quotas or adding in more ad breaks.
NE
Newsroom
Steve posted:
I never watch BBC One daytime - was their an update at 11 done by the presenter of the One and then an update at 15 on BBC Two by the presenter of the Six? I do of course remember the 90s update at 20:00 - trying to appeal to younger audiences - which I doubt it ever did.


Yes - from 1999 - the morning updates were done by the 1pm presenter, the 3.25pm by the 6pm presenter (usually, there were exceptions obviously).


And way before that - mid 80s there were hourly summaries with their own presenters.
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