Labour Says BBC Is Soft On Cameron
“LABOUR accuses BBC of going soft on Cameron,” says the Mail.
Labour has lodged an official complaint, claiming Radio 4’s Today programme has given David Cameron an easy ride in recent interviews.
In a letter to Sue Inglish, the BBC’s head of political programming, Labour’s vice- chairman Dawn Butler says presenter-Sarah Montague avoided any “unexpected questions”.
Says Miss Butler: “On the last five occasions Mr Cameron has appeared on the Today programme, dating back to November 1, his interviews have lasted less than eight minutes, they have been exclusively on a subject of his own choosing, and no questions have been asked by the interviewers on any other topical issues.”
The BBC denies any bias. And we wonder if this is less the fault of the BBC than of its star interlocutor Jeremy Paxman, whose hectoring, smirky-style of interviewing is what we expect our politicians to endure.
As Miss Butler goes on: “In all these instances, the interview served simply as an opportunity for Mr Cameron to ‘highlight’ and explain his policy announcement, without any of the difficult questioning, interruptions, or disputing of answers which is the usual hallmark of interviews with politicians on the Today programme.”
What is a modern political interview without the journalists interrupting the speaker? What do you have to say to that, Mr Cameron? “Well, I’d like to begin by saying…”
Sadly, we’ll have to leave it there …
Posted: 4th, March 2008 | In: Politicians, Tabloids, TV & Radio Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
