Syria Conflict

Shaun Ley is such a massive asset isn’t he. Incisive interviewing skills really giving fantastic background to this story. He’s had two guests who other presenters would have spent a couple of minutes with - Ley has provided Newsnight worthy segments with these people.

Top half hour live from the region (Damascus would be better than Beirut) with bottom half hour analysis of this quality is the BBC at its best in my view.

An extended Early Evening News will take place on BBC1 at 6:30 this evening.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/schedules/bbcone

An extra five minute for the late evening news as well (at 2200 tonight). Now 25 rather than 20 minutes

I know this is off topic but should we be worried about this.

If you watched the ITV News earlier and wondered why Steve Scott was reporting on the Syrian air strikes, Alastair explains

Steve Scott is more than competent reporting on these types of stories, he was a main news presenter on the ITV News channel for many years. Most journalists who specialise in certain areas (business, sport, entertainment) should be able to turn their hand to reporting on other things.

Aside from the specialists and the very best who are just researched up to the hilt and know something about everything, for the rest of us journalism is pretending to know everything about a story you just learned about five minutes ago, then hastily trying to catch up.

Out of curiosity when they have an expert on the BBC either in house or a guest and they have a tablet that stands up or a laptop does the manufacturers logo have to be covered? I was watching briefly last night and they had someone on who had a laptop in the guests position with a black case covering the back of the screen.

David Eades and Adnan Nawaz are others to name but a few. Excellent correspondents and news anchors who’ve been involved in sports at one time or another.

https://youtu.be/r3BO6GP9NMY?t=50