29-01-2023, 07:24 PM
(29-01-2023, 06:49 PM)thePineapple Wrote: I thought how the BBC handled the sacking of Nadim Zahawi this morning was a shame.
For a start, the NC took Laura Kuenssberg's show, which meant that they couldn't break the news and get reaction in the same way they normally would - obviously they touched on it but it was hardly rolling news. That show then overran so they could round up as they always do, which meant that slightly irritating cut, and then the next hour was simulcast with WN. This sort of story only happens once every few months, and should be a news channel's bread and butter, but instead the world got a Westminster bubble top story, and the UK didn't get rolling coverage.
I'm not blaming anyone, because that's the weakened position the Beeb are in at the moment, but it's an example of why this merger, whilst not 'the death of the BBC', will (is) definitely impact(ing) coverage for the worse.
What was there to roll with though? It was hardly a developing story - Zahawi was sacked, that was that. The story has been developing all week and this is the climax of it.
If the NC hadn't been simulcasting Laura K between 9 - 10am, they would've been simulcasting with World instead. Zahawi was sacked, it's the headline story, run a report, get analysis from a political correspondent, and move on to other news. Not much wrong with that in my opinion.