Tag: media

Twelve young filmmakers to be the voice of Scotland at COP26

Picture: Sandy Young/scottishphotographer.com

Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF) and COP26 Principal Partner ScottishPower has unveiled the team of young filmmakers who have been selected to bring the voice of young Scotland to COP26.

Twelve young Scots from across the country and aged between 16 and 21 are being trained to film, direct, present and produce content which will be broadcast daily to a global audience as COP TV during the environmental conference.

SYFF co-founder Scott Mackay who has been working with the young people this summer, said of the global project: “COP TV is a fantastic opportunity for young people to influence the climate change conversation on a global stage – to bring the voice of young Scotland to the world and the world to the young people of Scotland.

“Working with the team, I am so impressed with the knowledge, passion and enthusiasm they bring to the film-making process. They are a credit to Scotland and will be fantastic young ambassadors both to the delegates and climate change influencers we interview and to the global audience watching our daily broadcast.”

“We are hugely grateful to ScottishPower for their support. This promises to be a historic event and I’m honoured to be working with such a talented group of young Scots.”

© Sandy Young Photography Sandy Young/scottishphotographer.com

Dr Sam Gardner, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability at ScottishPower, said: “We need everyone to play their part in tackling the climate emergency and we’ve already seen that the enthusiasm and determination of young people can not only influence the decision-makers, but can result in real and lasting change.

“COP26 is arguably the world’s most crucial conference on climate change yet. It’s where we hope to see real action taken to cut carbon emissions and limit the rise in global temperatures. ScottishPower is already playing its part, investing £10billion in the UK over five years – £6 million every working day – to double its renewable generation capacity and drive forward decarbonisation.

“I’m delighted to meet the team from COP TV and I look forward to seeing the stories and news they capture during COP broadcast worldwide.”

The team will be supported by Christie Paterson, an offshore environmental manager with ScottishPower’s parent company Iberdrola. Based out of ScottishPower’s Glasgow HQ, Christie works with Iberdrola windfarm projects worldwide, advising on how to reduce and monitor potential environmental impacts.

Christie said: “I think COP TV is a fantastic initiative and it’s been great to meet the team at our windfarm today.

“There are so many great stories to tell as we journey towards net zero and I hope I can help show this group of young filmmakers all the ways we are working to help protect the environment both here in the UK and at windfarms around the world.”

MEET the FILM-MAKERS:

Becky Gillan

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Hiya! My name is Becky and I live in Edinburgh (Although I’m originally from South Lanarkshire). I study Government Policy and Society with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh and have a strong interest in economic, environmental, educational and health policy. A fun fact about me is that I work as a roller skating instructor.  

With COP TV, I hope to be able to spread awareness of climate change both within my generation and beyond. As well as this I hope to be able to interview key environmental stakeholders and ask the difficult questions that young people need to know.

Josh Parker

I’m Josh, I’m 17 and I’m from the south side of Glasgow. I’m in my first year of university. I’ve been really interested in activism and have worked on a range of issues that affect young people.

I hope to bring greater awareness to the climate crisis among other young people and inspire people to get involved in learning more/taking action..

Emily Ritchie

I’m Emily, I’m 20 years old and I live just outside of Glasgow. I’ve recently graduated from City of Glasgow College, where I studied HNC Social Sciences.

My hope is, that through the COP TV project, I will be able to build upon my current understanding of both Climate Change and the media industry.

Going into this project, my experience was mainly media based – having made a few short films in the past, along with an interest in photography.

Already I have learned vital skills in filmmaking, more about what we can do to tackle the climate crisis and the importance of COP26, something that will hopefully continue throughout the COP TV project.

Meredith Rae

I’m Meredith, I’m 17 and from the Falkirk area. Started getting interest in this area by writing a piece for my school newspaper regarding climate, the pandemic and climate justice.

I’m aiming to do Film and Television with Politics at University of Glasgow in 2022 and in the past year created an initiative at school called ‘Lady Business’ which aimed to combat period poverty.

Joseph Olanlokun

My name is Joseph Olanlokun. I’m 17 and live in Armadale in West Lothian.

One day I want to be a  film/TV director so I am interested in Directing, Screenwriting and Camera Work. It’s been fun working with COP TV so far because it’s given me the chance to meet like-minded people who are positive about Climate change.

I hope to influence the way young people think about climate change and I want more people to do their part in making the world a better place.

Zoe Conroy

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My name is Zoë Conroy and I come from a village called Banchory. I am 17 years old and I am currently in my sixth year at Banchory Academy.

I also have lately secured a place at Edinburgh Napier for a 4 year long photography course starting in 2022.

I really hope to go into the fashion industry as I have always felt that change is necessary within. Change is something I am very used to. I was born in Houston Texas and lived there for 5 years, then moved to Dubai, where we stayed for 6 years and finally moved to Scotland.

As you can tell by now I don’t shy away from change and there must be change made if we want to combat the climate crisis. 

I hope that COP TV will give me the opportunity to get myself and the other young people who are part of the team out there and our voices heard, so that the change is made. 

Stella Duncan

My name is Stella and I come from Dumfries. I am 16 years old at present but I am aiming to do a university level qualification in global environmental issues alongside my advanced highers.

I’ve been part of the school’s eco-committee for quite a few years and outside of school I have been attending a local film making group (Scene 1 take 1) for almost 7 years.

Scarlett Alexander

Hi, I’m Scarlett from Ayr and I’m 16 years old.  I am into lots of different fashion and music and I’ve been taking an interest lately not just in media and climate but how media can be more climate and carbon conscious.

Totally fascinated by the technology of broadcasting and I hope to get a real chance through COP TV to gain experience in camera work and editing. Currently making my own personal film for COP TV about waterways near my home town.

I recently had a chance to sit in on the editing of a documentary about Johnny Cash and his performance in San Quentin jail.

Rachel Henderson

I’ve taken part in school climate protests like the march in Glasgow in 2019. I’m 16 years old and currently studying Higher Drama. I go to Bishopbriggs Academy and I am a massive bookworm with my favourite book being ‘ The Midnight Library’ By Matt Haig.

I hope to gain more knowledge and insight on what’s going on in the world and to use the skills I learned to spread awareness and to inspire others to make change

Jasmin Robertson

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17 years old and from Nairn I have attended the Friday climate strikes at school and I aim to improve our world throughout all my creative practices. Recent art projects have looked at things like plastic pollution and reforestation.

I am really looking forward to the act of making programmes and films; From the writing and planning to the editing and final transmission. I enjoy editing and can’t wait to get started making films for broadcast during COP 26.

Finlay McLennan

Hello! My name is Finlay, I am 17 years old and I live just outside of Inverness. I love trad and folk music and I play the fiddle with my band Cala.

What I hope to achieve at COP is inspiring other young people to be a part of the fight for climate change through the use of film and also to gain experience working in the media industry.

Charlie Topping

I’m Charlie. I’m 16 years old and from Drumchapel and just completed a short comedy horror film (despite the pandemic) for my Higher Media course.

Really looking forward to getting involved in all aspects of both broadcast and the climate crisis as we head to COP 26. Which will likely be the most important event to ever come to my hometown of Glasgow. Main focus – fast fashion.

For more information or to arran

Oliver Dowden: Protecting journalism in a healthy democracy

DCMS Secretary of State writes about the importance of a free and diverse media

What makes a healthy democracy? The strongest and most progressive countries share lots of qualities, but they have two vital things in common: a free and diverse media and the right to dissent. This week, a vocal Twitter minority went after both (writes Department of Culture Media and Sport Secretary of State OLIVER DOWDEN) .

GB News had barely begun broadcasting when pressure group “Stop Funding Hate” tried to stifle it, piling the pressure on advertisers to boycott Britain’s newest current affairs channel for spreading “hate and division”. It came in a week when we had already witnessed free journalism under assault with the despicable harassment of BBC journalist Nick Watt.

It seems GB News’ biggest crime – or rather “pre-crime”, as it’s called in the dystopian Minority Report when people are proactively punished for wrongs they haven’t committed yet – was to signal that it might not always agree with the media consensus. When he launched the channel, veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil vowed that GB News would not be “an echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset”, and that it would “empower those who feel their concerns have been unheard”.

Rightly so. A free media is one that has a diverse range of opinions and voices – and as I said earlier this week, GB News is a welcome addition to that diversity. We need outlets and commentators who cover the range of the political spectrum; who can speak truth to power; and who are willing to challenge dogma or orthodoxy.

I’ve no doubt plenty of people will disagree with some of the things GB News commentators have to say – just as plenty of people disagree with the things they see and hear on the BBC, Sky News or any other media outlet. But if you don’t like those ideas, switch over – don’t silence. We shouldn’t be blocking people from the conversation simply because we disagree with them.

That is exactly why, when we were developing legislation to boost online safety and tackle social media abuse, I was determined to make sure it couldn’t be used to stifle debate. Every country is grappling with this – but I believe the UK has struck the right balance and carved a path for the rest of the world to follow with our Online Safety bill, which we published in draft form last month.

That bill will protect children online and help stamp out the vile social media abuse, including racism and misogyny. Crucially, though, it also includes strong safeguards for free speech and the freedom of the media.

There will be a new requirement for social media companies to protect freedom of expression. The largest social media platforms will need to be clear to users about what they allow on their sites, and enforce it consistently.

That means they won’t be able to arbitrarily remove content – and if a user feels they have, they’ll have a new right to appeal. Right now if content is removed there is no recourse to review or in many cases even get an explanation as to why material has been taken down. Our bill will enhance the protections in place.

We’ve also got special safeguards for journalistic and “democratically important” content. News publishers’ content won’t be in scope – whether it’s on their own sites or on other online services. Journalists will also benefit from increased protections when they post on social media. The largest platforms will also have to protect political opinions on their sites, even if certain activists or campaign groups don’t agree with them.

Those are the grounds of a functioning democracy. Sadly we can no longer take them for granted. Across the West, our values of tolerance and freedom of expression, for which previous generations have fought and died, increasingly risk being undermined by a small but vocal minority. For them, these are not absolute, but relative, concepts, ready to be bent to silence dissent from their world view.

We will not stand by and allow that to happen.

Occupy the Internet: 200 media experts publish wake up call

Demand for Public Service Internet

“The Internet and the media landscape are broken. The dominant commercial Internet platforms endanger democracy. Despite all the great opportunities the Internet has offered to society and individuals, the digital giants have acquired unparalleled economic, political and cultural power.

“As currently organised, the Internet separates and divides instead of creating common spaces for negotiating difference and disagreement” (The Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto).

An international group of media experts has created a media and Internet manifesto. Released yesterday, the “Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto” demands the safeguarding of the existence, independence, and funding of Public Service Media such as the BBC as well as the creation of a Public Service Internet.

Prof Christian Fuchs, who is the Director of the Communication and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster and co-initiated the Manifesto, commented: “Democracy requires Public Service Media and a Public Service Internet.

“The digital giants such as Facebook, YouTube/Google, Netflix, and Amazon dominate the Internet. The results have been monopolies, dataveillance, algorithmic politics, digital populism, the Internet as huge shopping mall, filter bubbles, fake news, post-truth culture, and a lack of debate.

“Our Manifesto demands the creation of a Public Service Internet so that Public Service Media are enabled and properly resourced to be able to provide online platforms that have a not-for-profit imperative and the digital remit to advance information, news, debate, democracy, education, entertainment, participation, and creativity with the help of the Internet”.

The Manifesto was created by a group of international media experts who engaged over several months in an online discussion and collaboration process utilising the ecomitee.com platform.

The Manifesto initiative is part of the research network InnoPSM: Innovation in Public Service Media Policies that was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Council and is led by Dr Alessandro D’Arma from the University of Westminster and Dr Minna Horowitz from the University of Helsinki.

Dr Klaus Unterberger, who is Head of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation’s Public Value Department and the Manifesto’s co-initiator, said: “Public communication is more than business. It is a public purpose. The global pandemic, accelerating climate change and increasing social inequalities have demonstrated the urgency of accountable and reliable news beyond fake news and polarization.

“We need a new Internet that provides a public sphere for citizens, not just for consumers. The existing infrastructure of Public Service Media must play a vital role in creating an alternative to the dominance of data companies. There are new opportunities for strengthening the public sphere and democracy. This is why we call for action”.

In the following months, the Manifesto will go global and ask supporters to sign it.

There will be several activities and events addressing media and communications policy makers, Public Service Media, civil society, and the public in order to create a broad coalition for the creation of a Public Service Internet.

The Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto:

http://bit.ly/psmmanifesto


The Manifesto can be signed here:

http://bit.ly/signPSManifesto

Media collaboration offers opportunities to writers from under-represented backgrounds

A new initiative co-funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and supported by the New Statesman and Daily Mirror aims to increase opportunities for aspiring writers and journalists from under-represented backgrounds.

A WRITING CHANCE is a UK-wide programme, delivered by New Writing North and literature organisations nationally, with research from Northumbria University. It is looking for fresh perspectives and great stories from people whose voices have historically not been heard in publishing and the media.

Through mentoring with established writers and journalists, bursaries, insight days, broadcast and publication with by-lines, A Writing Chance seeks to prise open a persistently elitist industry to encourage access for all.

A Writing Chance is a positive intervention, designed to discover new talent, support new writers from under-represented backgrounds to break into the creative industries, and empower publishers and editors to make space for a broader range of perspectives.

Who gets to write for the British media we all read?

The media may be one of the most competitive industries to break into, but it isn’t a meritocracy. For many new writers, progress does not always correspond to their talent and those with huge potential are often held back by a range of barriers.

A London-centric industry; unpaid and low-paid internships; the casualisation of jobs; and a reliance on personal contacts make finding work in the media far more difficult for people from working-class and lower income backgrounds. What’s more, people from these backgrounds often face intersecting challenges due to historic under-representation in the media, including but not limited to ethnicity, disability, sexuality, gender identity, age and religious beliefs.

  • 47% of authors and writers are from the most privileged social starting points, contrasting with only 10% from working-class backgrounds. Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey, 2014
  • 12.6% of those working in publishing come from working-class social origins, compared with a third of the population as a whole. Cultural Capital: Arts Graduates, Spatial Inequality, and London’s Impact on Cultural Labor Markets, 2017
  • Newspaper columnists, who significantly shape the national conversation, draw from a particularly small pool, with 44% attending independent school (compared with 7% of the population) and 33% coming through the independent school to Oxbridge ‘pipeline’ alone (compared with less than 1% of the population who attend Oxbridge). Sutton Trust, Elitist Britain 2019
  • Just 0.2% of British journalists are Black (compared to 3% of the population) and 0.4% of British journalists are Muslim (compared to nearly 5% of the population). City University, 2016

Husna Mortuza, Deputy Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement, Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “We are delighted to support ‘A Writing Chance’. This powerful project will bring new voices to the public, and address inclusivity in our media and publishing industries head on.

“Far too often, talented storytellers from working-class backgrounds have found it difficult to break into the industry whether through lack of support, networks or space to develop their craft. This project aims to better understand the many barriers that budding writers from under-represented groups face, and to create opportunities for more non-fiction and creative writers to be part of the industry.

“Hearing a diverse range of voices from across society matters, and both writers and readers will benefit from a widening of the lens. I look forward to reading some new work and fresh perspectives on the year we’ve just lived: Life in 2020-2021.”

Alison Phillips, Editor-in-Chief of the Mirror, said: “At the Mirror we understand the power of having a voice and holding people accountable.

“Ensuring that everyone has access to that power will only make the national conversation that much more interesting and effective. I can’t wait to see the new talent this project uncovers.”

Jason Cowley, Editor of the New Statesman, said: “For too long the world of journalism has favoured a privileged minority. The New Statesman, which thrives on discovering new voices, is delighted to lend its support to this vital scheme to redress the balance.”

A Writing Chance is now open for application until 26 March 2021. A group of ten new and aspiring writers of journalism, fiction and creative non-fiction will be selected for the programme, which includes the opportunity to have work published in the New Statesman or Daily Mirror (in print or online), or broadcast as part of a new podcast series.

Full details of A Writing Chance are available at AWritingChance.co.uk

Support for BBFC initiative to help homeschooling families keep children safe

  • Free educational resources available on the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) website to help parents with homeschooling
  • Initiative supported by Government and leading charities, including Barnardo’s, PSHE Association and Childnet
  • Check the age rating and accompanying ratings info of BBFC rated films or episodic content on the BBFC’s website and free app

Coronavirus is changing daily lives, and in facing the current crisis parents are finding themselves faced with the task of homeschooling their children to keep them safely indoors.

The BBFC has a range of free educational resources, case studies and tools available online, which can help children to access fun, interesting and age-appropriate material. The BBFC’s age ratings, ratings info and resources can also help families more generally choose content well, and avoid potentially distressing material.

  • CBBFC is the BBFC’s dedicated website for children, which parents can use as a tool to help their children understand what content is right for them, how their choices affect them and those around them, and how to choose films and TV shows well.
  • The BBFC’s Parents’ Guide to Age Ratings is designed to help parents and carers navigate content with their children. Films, TV shows and websites can make a huge difference in children’s lives, and for children’s healthy development and own sense of wellbeing staying safe online is crucial.
  • Families can check the age rating and long ratings info – which describes in detail the category defining issues – for BBFC rated content on the BBFC website and free app, keeping their children safe online.
  • Children can have a go at being a BBFC compliance officer, and rate a trailer themselves. Using the BBFC classification guidelines, children need to think critically about the content in the trailers, consider the audience, and can compare their answer with the actual age rating and ratings info.
  • Written in partnership with the PSHE Association, the BBFC’s PSHE free resources outline useful ways for parents to use films to talk about films with their children. Parents can download free worksheets, discussion points and lesson plans.
  • Parents can check out a round up of case studies on the BBFC website, which suggests films to watch and each gives insight into the classification process, as well as suggested discussion points so that parents can help their children begin to think critically about film.
  • The BBFC has published a list of educational films and TV shows that are available to stream now on video on demand platforms.

Faye Harcourt, Director of Marketing and Outreach at the BBFC, said: “We are here to help families and young people choose content well. In these difficult times, families are inevitably spending more time online — for homeschooling, entertainment or spending time together as a family.

“It is hard for parents to monitor closely what their children are watching online in normal times but now it is even more challenging.  For children’s healthy development and parents’ peace of mind, staying safe online and learning how to avoid content that might upset or disturb is crucial.

“Our dedicated children’s website, CBBFC, has the tools to help parents understand how to keep children safe online and how to teach them to view content that is appropriate to their age. But also it has some fun resources which are enjoyable as well as educational. Film is a great medium to start getting your children thinking critically, as well as giving them an understanding of how what we watch affects us and the people around us.”

This initiative and round up of free resources from the BBFC is welcomed by Government and children’s charities from across the UK.

Minister for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dinenage, said: “As we stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, it is important that parents and children can access appropriate content for their age.

“The government is completely committed to internet safety and I am delighted to see initiatives like this support our work.”

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “The internet is a fantastic tool for parents who are homeschooling their children during the lockdown, and also for streaming their children’s favourite TV programmes at the end of the day. But with so much content available it can be difficult to know what is safe for children.

“The online world must be as safe as the offline world and we cannot expect children to protect themselves. It’s vital that parents have discussions with their children about what is safe for them to watch and why. The BBFC’s website is a useful resource for parents to help assess what’s safe for their children and to help them start conversations at home.”

Sally Martin, PSHE Association Subject Specialist said: “With growing technological developments surrounding film and video content, young people are increasingly required to manage their own viewing habits.

“This is especially true at the moment, where families are spending more time indoors — watching films and media content online is a popular leisure-time activity. These BBFC resources give pupils or children in Year 5-6 (aged 9-11) the opportunity to discuss relevant scenarios, rehearse the skills of decision making and managing peer influence, and understand how age ratings can support safer choices around the media they consume.”

Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International, said: “In these unprecedented times, where families are finding themselves indoors much more, it’s more important than ever to give children the skills they need to stay safe online.

“We know it can be challenging for parents to keep an eye on their children’s online habits, but these resources from the BBFC can help children make informed decisions about the content they choose to watch.”

The BBFC will continue to highlight movies on their social media channels: their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram which are being broadcast that families in lockdown can watch together, with fun quizzes for children and parents alike.

Coronavirus: ‘trusted and accurate’ BBC News

BBC News has outlined its initial plans for how it will continue to offer its audiences trusted and accurate news throughout the Coronavirus crisis.

Director of News, Fran Unsworth, says: “These are unprecedented and difficult days. Trusted, accurate information is vital in a public health emergency and the BBC has a key role to play. We will continue offering our audience a continuous news service on TV, radio and online but this will look a bit different in the weeks ahead.

“Like many organisations we are unable to have all our staff on site due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We are therefore making some changes to what we do to streamline our output to ensure we can work with fewer people and protect the staff who are at work.”

TELEVISION

We will be making some visible changes to our output to focus on the latest news, information, live events and audience questions in the coming days. Breakfast, News At One, News At Six and News At Ten will continue to perform a vital role on BBC One, while we make some changes to support our continuous news channels.

We will be making some visible changes to our output to focus on the latest news, information, live events and audience questions in the coming days.

From tomorrow we will be moving to a core news service on the BBC News channel in the UK – with fewer branded programmes. This core service will replace some scheduled programmes on BBC Two including Politics Live and Victoria Derbyshire. We will be talking to these teams about how they can support the core operation, which will also provide live coverage of major news conferences and government briefings to BBC iPlayer, TV and News online.

There will also be a reduction in branded programmes on BBC World News – and more integrated working across live TV output behind the scenes. Some Persian TV programmes will be suspended.

Newsnight and The Andrew Marr Show will remain on air but will be operated by fewer technical staff; while The Andrew Neil Show, Newswatch and The Travel Show will be suspended. HARDtalk will also be suspended from next week.

Question Time will be broadcast at 8pm every Thursday without a studio audience for a period. From next Thursday it will be broadcast from a fixed location each week. Audiences will submit questions and we are particularly keen to hear from those in vulnerable groups.

RADIO

We believe we can protect much of our regular, trusted output at this point – though we are keeping the situation under close review and will be making some initial changes.

On World Service English, The World This Week will be suspended from tomorrow, with World Update and Weekend suspended from next week.

In the UK, radio summaries on BBC Radio 2, 3, 4 and 5 live will be brought together into a single output from 1am on Friday, with 6 Music using the same script. There will be shared production and output on Asian Network and Newsbeat from tomorrow. The Week In Westminster on Radio 4 (Saturday mornings) will be suspended after 21 March. We are making some other changes to radio studio usage and working methods to protect our staff.

DIGITAL

Over the last few weeks we have seen unprecedented use of our digital news services in the UK and around the world – with high consumption of our live pages, explanatory journalism and in-depth reporting. We will be making some changes to the way our teams are organised to sustain these vital services – and to ensure we can distribute important information via social media.

As a result of this we will be focusing content on the accounts that reach the widest number of people, drawing in effort from across the BBC to support our social media activity, and suspending posts on some smaller accounts over the coming days.

PODCASTS

Newscast will change into a daily edition of The Coronavirus Podcast. Americast, Beyond Today and The Next Episode podcasts will be suspended.

Earlier this week the BBC set out how it will ensure it keeps the nation informed, educated, and entertained in unprecedented times.

Director-General Tony Hall said: “We all know these are challenging times for each and every one of us. As the national broadcaster, the BBC has a special role to play at this time of national need.

“We need to pull together to get through this. That’s why the BBC will be using all of its resources – channels, stations and output – to help keep the nation informed, educated and entertained. We are making a series of changes to our output to achieve that.

“We will continue to deliver all the essential news and information – with special programming and content.

“We also will do everything from using our airwaves for exercise classes for older people, religious services, recipes and advice on food for older people and low-income families, and should schools close, education programming for different age groups. We will also be launching a whole new iPlayer experience for children. And of course there will be entertainment – with the ambition of giving people some escapism and hopefully the odd smile.

“Clearly there will be disruption to our output along the way, but we will do our very best.

“It will take time to emerge from the challenges we all face, but the BBC will be there for the public all the way through this.”

The BBC is announcing a wide-ranging package of measures today.

Our core role is to bring trusted news and information to audiences in the UK and around the world in a fast-moving situation, and counter confusion and misinformation.

In particular:

  • We will do everything we can to maintain Breakfast, the One, Six and Ten and ensure they continue to perform a vital role on BBC One
  • We will broadcast a weekly prime-time Coronavirus special on Wednesdays on BBC One, and move Question Time to 8pm on Thursdays, with call-in audiences and remote guests.
  • We will record a daily edition of the Coronavirus podcast, and film it where possible for News channel use in the UK and abroad.
  • We will bring listeners the most up-to-date information on Coronavirus through 5 Live. 5 Live will be answering listeners’ questions with regular phone-ins.
  • We will focus local radio breakfast and mid-morning output on news, open phone lines and expert advice for local communities between 6am and midday.
  • Under the umbrella Make A Difference, every local radio station will join up with local volunteer groups to help co-ordinate support for the elderly, housebound or at risk, making sure people know what help is available in their area.
  • We will keep Newsround bulletins on air throughout the day on CBBC.
  • We will delay the planned closure of the Red Button text news and information service.

We will help people in the UK deal with the impact of the crisis on their own lives, by providing advice, education and support.

Initiatives include:

  • Using The One Show as a consumer programme show for all aspects of the crisis. This will include health and well-being advice, keeping fit and healthy eating tips, as well as links to other BBC output that can help and support.
  • In BBC One daytime, Health Check UK Live will directly address the concerns of viewers who are in isolation, offering tips on how to keep healthy and happy at home.
  • Making BBC Homepage the BBC’s bulletin board supplying clear information – the answers to all the key questions, with public information, health advice and recipes.
  • Launching a virtual church service on Sunday mornings across local radio in England, led initially by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
  • Subject to outside broadcast capacity and our partners, we will aim to broadcast a weekly Sunday morning church service on BBC One, and explore how to support other religions and denominations, including in the run-up to Ramadan.
  • We will work with partners to get older age group exercise routines and other fitness programming into people’s homes on TV or radio.
  • We will retarget the BBC Food website around collections of recipes and advice on what can be made with essentials, especially for older people, and for low-income families.

In the event that schools are shut down, and subject to further work and discussions with the Department for Education, devolved administrations and schools, we are exploring:

  1. A daily educational programme for different key stages or year groups – with a complementary self-learning programme for students to follow, broadcast on BBC Red Button and made available on demand on BBC iPlayer.
  2. Expanding BBC Bitesize content, with our social media running daily troubleshooting Q&As focusing on a different subject each day.
  3. Increasing our educational programming on BBC iPlayer, bringing together the best from BBC Bitesize, BBC Teach and the wider BBC portfolio where educationally appropriate.
  4. Creating two new daily educational podcasts for BBC Sounds, one for primary and one for secondary.
  5. BBC Four and BBC Red Button devoting a block of programming each weekday evening to show programmes that support the GCSE and A Level curriculum. In Scotland, the Scotland channel will support the Scottish NQs and Highers in daytime.

We will keep people entertained, providing laughter, escapism, companionship, shared experiences and a sense of connection to the outside world.

Initiatives include the following:

  • We will bring back many favourite shows, allowing people of all ages to escape into some top-quality entertainment both on our channels and on BBC iPlayer. New boxsets going up shortly include Spooks, The Missing, Waking The Dead, French And Saunders, Wallander and The Honourable Woman, as well as more from BBC Three.
  • We will be launching an exciting new iPlayer experience for children, offering a wide range of entertaining and educational series. It will be easy to use and easy for them to find what’s relevant to them.
  • Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 4 will provide the information, explanation and escape that millions rely on. On Radio 4, we will dig into our rich archive of drama with such well-loved titles as The Complete Smiley, all of the novels by the Bronte Sisters, film noir classics by Raymond Chandler, and reassuring favourites as Rumpole and Wodehouse. We will be sharing popular podcast dramas with a wider radio audience for the first time by broadcasting the award-winning Forest 404 and The Whisperer In Darkness. We will also hope to provide some joy and laughter by running classic editions of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue and Just A Minute.
  • We will do the same in BBC Sounds, looking at bringing back classic sport, comedy and drama, as well as exploring using the BBC’s programme index to allow audiences to search thousands of online archive radio programmes.
  • We will aim to create live fund-raising events, to raise money for coronavirus good causes.
  • At a time when British culture is having to close its doors, the BBC, through iPlayer and Sounds, can give British culture an audience that can’t be there in person. We propose to run an essential arts and culture service – Culture in Quarantine – that will keep the Arts alive in people’s homes, focused most intensely across Radio 3, Radio 4, BBC Two, BBC Four, Sounds, iPlayer and our digital platforms, working closely with organisations like Arts Council England and other national funding and producing bodies. This will include guides to shuttered exhibitions, performances from world-class musicians and comedy clubs, new plays created especially for broadcast featuring exceptional talent, poetry and book readings.

450 jobs to go as BBC News plans to ‘modernise’

BBC News has outlined plans to ‘modernise its newsroom to respond to changing audience needs, ensure it is providing a truly universal service, and complete its £80m savings target’. The National Union of Journalists say the resultant job cuts are ‘part of an existential threat to the BBC’.

The BBC remains the UK’s most trusted and most consumed news service – but audience behaviour is changing rapidly, with audiences for linear TV continuing to decline, especially amongst 16-34 year-olds.

The BBC newsroom will be reorganised along a ‘story-led’ model, focusing on news stories more than on programmes or platforms. This is designed to reduce duplication and to ensure that BBC journalism is making as much impact as possible with a variety of audiences, rather than stories only appearing on one outlet or platform.

The new way of working will mean a changed focus for the news agenda, to ensure it is tailored to subjects that matter most to the audience.

The changes mean there will be a reduction in the overall number of stories covered.

There will be further investment in digital news, with a new version of the BBC News app, which will be more intuitive, more visual, and with increased personalisation.

More BBC journalists will be based outside London in future.

Fran Unsworth, Director of News and Current Affairs, says: “The BBC has to face up to the changing way audiences are using us. We have to adapt and ensure we continue to be the world’s most trusted news organisation, but crucially, one which is also relevant for the people we are not currently reaching.

“We need to reshape BBC News for the next decade in a way which saves substantial amounts of money. We are spending too much of our resources on traditional linear broadcasting and not enough on digital.

“Our duty as a publicly funded broadcaster is to inform, educate, and entertain every citizen. But there are many people in this country that we are not serving well enough.

“I believe that we have a vital role to play locally, nationally and internationally. In fact, we are fundamental to contributing to a healthy democracy in the UK and around the world. If we adapt we can continue to be the most important news organisation in the world.”

As part of the reorganisation, and having carefully considered the audience data, the BBC is also proposing to make the following changes to its output:

  • As confirmed last week, the Victoria Derbyshire programme on television will close later this year. We will continue to produce the kind of journalism the show has been making, but it is no longer cost-effective to produce for TV
  • There will be a reduction in the number of films produced by Newsnight, which will lead to post closures. The programme will stay at the same length and timing and will continue to deliver high quality journalism on the day’s events and beyond
  • There will be post closures at 5 live driven by the changing listening habits of the audience and demand for digital content
  • World Update on World Service English will be closed, alongside other schedule changes. This is in addition to the changes to Asian language services outlined last year
  • There will be a review of the number of presenters we have and how they work

The different changes to how BBC News will work will lead to an estimated 450 job losses.

Firm plans for post closures relating to the new ways of working will be put forward before the summer, following further trials of the new model.

BBC News needs to save £80m by 2022. This is driven by pressures across the BBC, including the last licence fee settlement. BBC News has already saved about half of this amount and the changes announced today should complete the savings.

The BBC will maintain the ring-fenced spending on the BBC World Service and the changes announced today do not directly affect the services being funded by the UK Government.

The latest announcement from the BBC brings the total number of job losses proposed in the World Service, radio and News to more than 500, says the NUJ. This amounts to an ‘existential threat to the BBC at the same time the corporation faces an ideological attack from the heart of government’.

Following the 70 jobs losses at the World Service, announced at Christmas, a further 380 will go from News and 60 from Network Radio.

The proposed impact on programming includes the closure of the Victoria Derbyshire show, with some roles retained to continue similar digital content under the BBC News brand. Newsnight will lose 12 posts, halve production of its four weekly in-depth films and reduce spend on investigative journalism. Twelve posts will go at 5Live. There will be more sharing of radio bulletins across the BBC, with a loss of 12 posts. Five news presenter posts will be cut.

There are also plans to fundamentally change the way in which journalism and news programming is created, with further pilots over the next three months planned for a new operational model that the BBC estimates will lead to 300 further job cuts. BBC News division has already made £40m savings and today’s proposals are intended to reach the division’s annual £80 million share of £800million of BBC-wide cuts.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: “These damaging cuts are part of an existential threat to the BBC, and a direct consequence of the last disastrous, secret licence fee deal the BBC agreed with the government. This is before the impact of taking over responsibility for the over-75s licences kicks in.

“Against this backdrop, the BBC’s very existence is being threatened with public service broadcasting under unprecedented threat. If the government goes ahead and decriminalises non-payment of the licence fee, we know the impact will be further losses for the BBC of around £200m a year and increased collection costs of £45m.

“Such a politically motivated move – dressed up as concern for the mythical imprisonment of vulnerable members of society – will serve to undermine one of the UK’s strongest success stories, emasculating a brand renowned and respected across the globe.

“The BBC is the single biggest driver of the creative economies, and a vital part of the British economy. If there is a desire to change the licence fee model, then that should be properly considered and consulted upon, with no changes until a credible alternative is found, one that fulfils the BBC’s public service values and the key principle of universality. The government should be supporting and properly resourcing the corporation – an organisation that wields significant soft power across the globe – instead of indulging in ideological retribution.

“That is why the next BBC director general must be a champion for the corporation, someone capable of fighting for this broadcasting powerhouse, someone able to stand up against any future political interference. The BBC’s detractors and competitors in the media are scenting blood – we’ve all seen the headlines and read the opinion pieces with unnamed sources dripping poison. We can all see which way the wind is blowing.

“The corporation faces a truly tough time. The NUJ will do all it can to defend public service broadcasting and protect our members’ jobs from these politically-motivated attacks. And that includes refuting commentary that seeks to link overdue settlements to women who have been discriminated against and unlawfully denied equal pay with job cuts – a crass and ill-informed red herring.”
Paul Siegert, NUJ national broadcasting organiser, said:

“Today’s announcement is just the latest in a decade of cuts made by the BBC. The proposal for more than 500 posts to go in the next 12 months will put those remaining at the BBC under even more strain, with increased workloads and further workplace stress inevitable. The NUJ has requested that the BBC provides an Equality Impact Assessment of these cuts and shares it with the unions as soon as possible.

“We have major concerns that the new ways of working planned across the BBC’s News Division could lead to a fall in quality and would urge the BBC to ensure they are audience-informed and not audience-led. It is the duty of a public service broadcaster to offer something different rather than simply chasing an audience like their commercial rivals.

“The NUJ remains opposed to any compulsory redundancies and urges the BBC to work with the unions in ensuring the staff who are at risk can be redeployed. The BBC’s redeployment policy and processes must be taken seriously and there must be an immediate freeze on external recruitment.”

Tracy Brabin MP, Labour’s shadow digital, culture and media secretary, responding to BBC News jobs cuts, said: “High-quality and investigative journalism is what the public rightfully expect from the BBC and these cuts will send shockwaves around the Corporation and journalism in this country.

“BBC News already faces huge challenges, in particular a low viewership among under-35s and working class communities. That it is now cutting award-winning programming such the Victoria Derbyshire Show and BBC Radio News – both of which bring news to audiences that others can’t reach – raises serious concerns about the impact of the cuts the BBC are having to carry out. My thoughts are with those who work hard to provide public service broadcasting and face uncertain futures today through no fault of their own.”

Gogglebox back for Stand Up To Cancer

The Bafta award winning Gogglebox returns once again with a Stand Up To Cancer celebrity special.

The League of Gentleman and Inside No. 9 co-creators and stars Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith will be sharing the Gogglebox sofa together as part of Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign on Friday (25th October). Continue reading Gogglebox back for Stand Up To Cancer

Refresh for Radio Scotland’s news programmes

Radio Scotland’s weekday news programmes are getting a new look as the schedule gets a refresh.

The daily flagship programme Good Morning Scotland, which sets the news agenda of the day, will see long standing anchor Gary Robertson joined by a voice already familiar to Radio Scotland listeners, Laura Maxwell. Continue reading Refresh for Radio Scotland’s news programmes