BBC News v ITV News

Graphics and aspect ratio aside, which news service do you think delivers the better and more in depth news coverage?

Personally, I think ITV News because the opening is hard hitting, and between the regional news and the national news, they report a wider range of stories from 'real' news to random news to entertainment news. Their special weeks *sometimes* work as well. 3 degrees from disaster was awful but the recent week from the LEDC (which name I have forgotten ) and was praised by members across forums similar to this.

But what I found is that ITV News has only really interested me lately. Until about 6 months ago, I found the news output from ITV terrible.

Whenever I turn on BBC news, they always have the same stories on a cycle and the presenters really irritate me, but thats not to say that some of the ITV lot annoy me as well.

Obviously, I am biased so I only pick out good points from ITV and bad points from BBC so it will be good to hear the views of others.

I like ITV News. It gets a lot of things said about it, but there coverage is great sometimes. The most recent was the week on Zimbabwe, which was fantastic. Aswell as that, the coverage during the July 7th bombings was brilliant. I'm glad there moving themselves away from the tacky and tabloid style and I think ITV News can redeem themselves so to speak.
BBC News is fine, but the 6 is terrible. I just find it boring, Natasha was one reason, but I still don't think I will watch, even though shes left. I think the 10 is much better, and I think when the ITV News at 10.30 first came back in 2004 it was great with the sports news, and short business update. Now its lost it, its became very bland and I think its wrong giving Mark both of the bulletins. I think, and this may be a bit of an odd decision, that Nina Hossain would be great on the late news. If they do bring it back to 10, her style would work great, if they brought back the sports news and some brief business news, it would work well. More indepth reports would work for the late bulletin aswell.

ITV News is a joke. Tabloid and with some very questionable editorial decisions.

BBC therefore wins by default.

My vote is For Channel 4 news:

I'm more in favour of BBC News, but ITV News does have some good points.

BBC NEWS

FOR:
More emphasis on proper news, rather than entertainment fluff.
More coverage of international news.
Assumes intelligence in the viewership.
Less irritating presenters, and many of them are heavyweight, well-respected journalists.
More correspondents in more locations around the globe.
Balanced reporting and bulletin agendas.

AGAINST:
Headlines aren't always attention grabbing.

ITV NEWS

FOR:
Attention-grabbing headlines.
Some good presenters.
Hi-tech studio.
Some good in-depth investigations.

AGAINST:
Far too sensationalist in its reporting and agenda.
Always sees the worst in news, i.e. scare-mongering.
Not enough correspondents to adequately cover international news.
Some irritating presenters (e.g. Geraint Vincent, Mark Austin).
Hi-tech studio not used to full potential.
Too much coverage given to entertainment news.
Some reporters (e.g. Tom Bradby) can let personal opinion seep into reportings.

So, I'm more in favour of BBC News. That said, though, to compare them is not really that fair, because they appeal to different audiences. If every channel was the same, there wouldn't be choice for people which is definitely a bad thing. As it stands, if people want politics they go to the BBC. If they want better reporting of enterainment and lifestyle news, they go to ITV News.

If ITV News got their act together and ended the sensationalist scare tactics, they could be really good. The studio could be used to better effect too. The promised 'tweaks' are yet to come into effect, I suppose we will have to wait and see what they herald in terms of changes.

I've always thought BBC News was overrated and ITV was under rated, but ITV have lost their way a bit since the News Channel closed.


ITV do though do their special reports incredibly well, and generally tackle the big stories superbly - plus IMO have a far more watchable presenter team - but the shows now seem quite dated once again and far too much trivial non-news makes the programme.

It's difficult to be completely objective if you're a politcal editor, but I think out of them all, Tom Bradby is by far the best in terms of neutrality. I think you should really be questioning how the BBC can allow Nick Robinson to act as their walking-talking conservative pamphlet year round.

Bradby's analysis seems based on his opinions rather than his politcal judgement.

And ITV have their own conservative brown noser in Libby Weiner.

BBC wins hands down, but overall the terrestrial winner is Channel 4.

Daily Telegraph.

I've always watched ITV News, I just prefer their style of reporting more than BBC News. As stated before, ITV's special reports are exceptional IMO.