Poor news Coverage - switch off or complain?

Up to now I've been a switch off person but after this post I think I will become more active. After all if we accept poor news reporting then that's what we'll get. Thanks Imperfect. You've woken me up to an issue I'd just accepted. If enough of us make a fuss then they might take notice.

Our news stations are simply not up to the job and tantamount to Trades Description when using the word 'news'.

I often mention how our news stations are both lazy and behind the times , especially when it comes to World News.

The amount of times I note the BBC will run a story that has been aired on say Aljazeera days before. They have supposedly overseas correspondence but hardly ever use them , they just keep going over and over the same old .

Our news stations have become nothing more than political mouth pieces of late and I think the standard of interviewing has become aggressive and lacking in intellectual questioning. They prefer to stick with reporting on a cough, a bacon sandwich or wearing a suit rather than having to ask in depth questions of substance or interest.

Could do better!

To be honest I just switch-off ..... it would take up too much of my time to complain about the many things that annoy me!

My two main bugbears, which I've discussed on GN, are the obsession with internal American politics e.g. leading the news with the latest resignation of a functionary in the West Wing, along with detailed coverage of the two-year US election campaign.

The other is, leading the news with the details of what so-and-so is going to say later today or tomorrow; that's PR not news. Fair enough if a resignation or military action is in the offing but it's usually just new policy statement.

By all means have these things in the programme but not as leading stories.

I don't expect any one news source to be perfect and in accordance with my own opinions. I read newspapers, tweets from people on the spot at the time of whatever incidents are ongoing, watch BBC and Channel 4 news sometimes and distil the essence from all that thus informing my own view of the world and what's going on in it.

Same as Jane10

We can't all expect the News to suit our own sensitivities Switching off is an option but not one I favour.

I am really tired of gratuitous news coverage, the more gaudy seemingly the better. All channels seem to think it's ok to show and repeat it ad nauseum. Think of the two towers coverage, it was terrible that we could see the horror up close and personal. It was like being at the games in Rome, it shouldn't be used like entertainment.

What really gets up my nose is Sport labelled as News
I know lots of people love football but News? No not really

I am disappointed that the news shows such graphic things so early in the day, what happened to the thought that we might protect our children from the worst aspects of life?

Breakfast television is just salacious covering terrorist attacks, and who died ,and their funeral arrangments etc, yes we can switch off, but that means the services which include time checks, travel updates etc are lost because some viewers apparently cannot get enough of repeated gore.

I rely on radio more and more and even some of that is getting too much now. ther are no standards and few options. I wish there was a cheerful channel, no wonder the nation is so depressed non stop gloom being broadcast.

I agree with you Imperfect. The way the news in Las Vegas has been handled by the BBC is atrocious. They have concentrated on the sensationalistic and have fed on people's voyeuristic tendencies. It is car crash tv. I haven't written to them but may well now do. All their news reporting is the same eg the handling of Theresa May's speech. It is becoming very much like Jeremy Kyle who in my opinion should be hung drawn and quartered!

I've simply reverted to radio. Much more in depth and rattles the grey matter into much needed action as well as the imagination. TV is too graphic and sensationalist nowadays. Seems to think a pre cursor statement of 'some content may upset or offend' covers all extremes of unnecessary awfulness will suffice. No longer for me, thank you

I don't bother complaining anymore as the answer I get makes me more annoyed than what I had originally complained about

I think I would just turn over, I think that sometimes the news channels let you know what they want you to know, not what you need to know!

Same as Jane10

Don't get me started.....Laura Kuenssberg....so aggressive and unprofessional ... I cannot take her seriously... really cannot stand her. Thankfully John Pinnar has been covering most of the political news this week, with a smattering of Kuenssberg which is when I switch off!! John Humphrey's is a pussycat compared to her. Personally I stick to Radio 4 for news and current affairs.

I agree with the above comments, and feel we should complain more.

Laura Kuenssberg is far too aggressive, along with other media reporters.

One instance of - in my opinion - biased and unfair reporting - was regarding Theresa May's recent speech at the Conservative party conference.

She had a cough, which was very unfortunate, also the stupid idiot who thought he was being ever so clever handing her a P45, then the lettering falling from the wall.

A series of unfortunate events, but whether you agree with her policies or not, none of these events were her fault. Yet every newspaper headline, BBC news coverage, and interviews have pillaried and mocked her. None giving a fair account of her policies.

It seems the media these days are making the news, rather than giving fair non-biased reporting.

I am definitely going to complain more often.

Switch off? I have not been switching on for a long time now. News used to be and should be about facts not opinions. And we ought to be getting those facts as they happen, not days later when the BBC realises that they are so far behind.

Have a look at Wikimedia. This new news site wil concentrate on factuak reporting and has signed up reporters for doing just that. It is early days but I find it encouraging so far.

Is Laura Kuenssberg aggressive? Jeremy Paxman is aggressive but he is to the point and can get answers (not always!). I think Laura Kuenssberg is just rude to cover her inadequacy as an interviewer. But to get back to the OP - thankyou for making me think a bit harder about this.

Sometimes a significant thing has happened in Northern Ireland (where I live). We watch the main news expecting to see a news report and there's nothing. Much less interesting things are reported because they happen in England.

Thankyou CardiffJaguar. I don't want to hear the opinion of the interviewer/newsreader either - it's often very evident by the tone of the voice. Fiona Bruce is my least favourite newsreader because of this.

There is no point in complaining. I watched BBC Newswatch for ages in the hope that it will make a difference. Every time there is an adverse comment or complaint they get the Editor/Producer on and they always support the reasons why they did what they did. They just don't take any notice. I don't know why Newswatch is on personally. I don't watch it any more.

Depends on the time of month Imperfect25. I agree about your news comment wholeheartedly. As for complaints, sometimes I’ll switch off, but other times I can and do complain-to the BBC, the newspaper, the gas board, the surgery, tripadvisor, and don’t even get me started on those endless surveys you get when you’ve bought something or had a service provided. On the other hand I make a point of sending positive feedback if there’s something good to say. If we say nothing, then we can’t expect changes.

BBC news is hopeless, I remember watching about 10 minutes of coverage when Bowie died and 2 mins with Brucie. Last night they had a piece on this wonderful new scheme that helped people whose risk of having their children taken into care. This new scheme looked good, but they failed to mention that this gov't had been shutting down sure start centres that did the same thing. The BBC won't criticise the tories

spabbygirl! You must be joking. Their all Labour supporters how far left are you?