Broadcasters’ Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter examines how those working in various areas of television news perceive the attitudes of young people towards politics and current affairs in general, as well as towards how these are represented on television news programmes. It also analyses the measures suggested by such journalists for encouraging young people to take a greater interest in this genre of programming. The chapter is based on a series of interviews carried out in 2007 by Peter Keighron, and the full text of these is available on the project website. Those interviewed were as follows:

• Steve Anderson — BBC, executive producer Question Time.

• Kevin Bakhurst — BBC, controller News 24.

• Matt Barbet — presenter, Five News, previously BBC London News.

• Peter Barron — BBC, editor Newsnight.

• Mark Calvert — BSkyB, editor Five News.

• James Dagwell — BBC presenter, News 24, 60 Seconds, StoryFix.

• James DuBern — Current TV, director of programming.

• Melanie Essex — BBC, executive editor, News Action and School News Day.

• Martin Fewell — deputy editor, Channel 4 News.

• Geoffrey Goodwin — head of BBC Teens project.

• Colin Hancock — BBC, editor World At One, previously worked on Newsbeat.