Tiger Woods: Public interest, or just interesting to the public?
"There is a confusion at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ these days between what the public is interested in and what is in the public interest."
That was the view of listener Liz Capaldi in an email to Over To You this week, in response to last week's interview with Andrew Whitehead, the World Service Head of News and Current Affairs.
He defended the decision to give prominence recently on flagship news programmes like Newshour to golfer Tiger Wood's first public apology over recent high-profile incidents in his private life.
Mrs Capaldi's email is one a number of contributions to the argument over what stories qualify to be worthy of coverage of the World Service. All the listeners who contacted us this week condemned the amount of airtime afforded this story. "Tabloid journalism" and "tittle-tattle and gossip" sum up their analysis of the coverage. You can listen to many of those points on this week's programme and I do not wish to rehearse them here again, save to highlight the following concise contribution from Riche Baars in Germany:
"Each time one of your editors says that it's because most of us listeners want such a programme, then I really wonder if that's so, and if they have tested that fact?"ÌýÌý
Well Riche, Andrew Whitehead could point to the million hits on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ news website following up this story - but that wouldn't necessarily mean listeners actually want it reported extensively in a programme normally devoted to global events and analysis. And anyway, should the World Service be giving listeners what they want as opposed to what is good for them?
A good time then to talk to Jeremy Nye, who leads audience research at Bush House, about a recent survey in four specific countries asking what the World Service is actually here for.
It comes at a time of great soul searching at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ here in the UK too. In response to criticism over pay for top management and "talent" and a perception that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is spreading itself too widely at the expense of commercial rivals, its Director-General, Mark Thompson, has reiterated the priorities and purpose of the corporation. And much of that boils down to providing content the commercial sector does not supply.
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As it happens, according to Jeremy Nye, listeners in Egypt, Turkey, Tanzania and Pakistan are pretty content with what they hear on the World Service. Now, that maybe because the World Service complements what they receive from their own domestic broadcasters. Or it could be that the quality of programming is far more enriching than the competition in those countries. You can listen to my interview with Jeremy on this week's programme too.
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And if you don't happen to live in any of the four countries featured in the research - and weren't asked what you think the World Service is for - this is your space to do just that! I want to know what you think - so get in touch!
Ìý
Either way, where else would you hear in-depth features on the effects of the government of Bangladesh to digitise the country by 2021?
At present only 1 per cent of the nation's population has access to an internet connection.
I talk to Subir Mustafa, head of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Bangla, about the project and find out how farmers who can't read or write very well are still benefiting from the exchange of information on the internet.
And incidentally if you are like Ingrid Marks, who contacted the programme this week, and you too have patchy, irregular or indeed no access to cyberspace and want to get hold of scheduling information for the World Service, you can get a printout mailed to your home.
You need to contact Audience Information at the usual World Service address: Bush House, PO Box 76, The Strand, London WC2B 4PH.Ìý
You'll need to give your own postal address, and say which regional schedule you need.
ÌýÌý
Rajan Datar is the Presenter, Over To You
That was the view of listener Liz Capaldi in an email to Over To You this week, in response to last week's interview with Andrew Whitehead, the World Service Head of News and Current Affairs.
He defended the decision to give prominence recently on flagship news programmes like Newshour to golfer Tiger Wood's first public apology over recent high-profile incidents in his private life.
Mrs Capaldi's email is one a number of contributions to the argument over what stories qualify to be worthy of coverage of the World Service. All the listeners who contacted us this week condemned the amount of airtime afforded this story. "Tabloid journalism" and "tittle-tattle and gossip" sum up their analysis of the coverage. You can listen to many of those points on this week's programme and I do not wish to rehearse them here again, save to highlight the following concise contribution from Riche Baars in Germany:
"Each time one of your editors says that it's because most of us listeners want such a programme, then I really wonder if that's so, and if they have tested that fact?"ÌýÌý
Well Riche, Andrew Whitehead could point to the million hits on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ news website following up this story - but that wouldn't necessarily mean listeners actually want it reported extensively in a programme normally devoted to global events and analysis. And anyway, should the World Service be giving listeners what they want as opposed to what is good for them?
A good time then to talk to Jeremy Nye, who leads audience research at Bush House, about a recent survey in four specific countries asking what the World Service is actually here for.
It comes at a time of great soul searching at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ here in the UK too. In response to criticism over pay for top management and "talent" and a perception that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is spreading itself too widely at the expense of commercial rivals, its Director-General, Mark Thompson, has reiterated the priorities and purpose of the corporation. And much of that boils down to providing content the commercial sector does not supply.
Ìý
As it happens, according to Jeremy Nye, listeners in Egypt, Turkey, Tanzania and Pakistan are pretty content with what they hear on the World Service. Now, that maybe because the World Service complements what they receive from their own domestic broadcasters. Or it could be that the quality of programming is far more enriching than the competition in those countries. You can listen to my interview with Jeremy on this week's programme too.
Ìý
And if you don't happen to live in any of the four countries featured in the research - and weren't asked what you think the World Service is for - this is your space to do just that! I want to know what you think - so get in touch!
Ìý
Either way, where else would you hear in-depth features on the effects of the government of Bangladesh to digitise the country by 2021?
At present only 1 per cent of the nation's population has access to an internet connection.
I talk to Subir Mustafa, head of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Bangla, about the project and find out how farmers who can't read or write very well are still benefiting from the exchange of information on the internet.
And incidentally if you are like Ingrid Marks, who contacted the programme this week, and you too have patchy, irregular or indeed no access to cyberspace and want to get hold of scheduling information for the World Service, you can get a printout mailed to your home.
You need to contact Audience Information at the usual World Service address: Bush House, PO Box 76, The Strand, London WC2B 4PH.Ìý
You'll need to give your own postal address, and say which regional schedule you need.
ÌýÌý
Rajan Datar is the Presenter, Over To You
Over To You is your chance to have your say about the ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service and
its programmes. It airs at 10:40 and 23:40 every Saturday, and atÌý02:40 on Sunday (GMT).Ìý
- Listen to previous episodes ofÌýOver To You
- Subscribe to the podcast
- Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44
144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog.
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