Feeding the masses

BBC: BBC Trust commissions news review

The BBC's governing body is to review the corporation's coverage of news across the UK following devolution…

BBC trustee Richard Tate said the devolution of powers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had presented "new challenges" for the corporation.

That's all well and good for those parts of the UK which have devolved government, but what about the rest of us?

It's a matter of continuing irritation to those of living beyond the M25 just how little news coverage we receive in so-called national news broadcasts. The BBC's dismissive attitude to those of us living north of Epping Forest—those odd chaps who pronounce their A's short and live on tripe and whippets—is nicely illustrated by the role of North of England Correspondent. Note the singular: the BBC thinks it proportionate to dedicate as many correspondents to the whole of the North of England as it does to a handful of German toffs down the Palace who pronounce their A's long.

I live in the biggest county in England: Yorkshire. I can't remember the last time I heard national BBC News coverage of anything that happened in this county. What's that you say? Yorkshire is four counties. I stand corrected. Well, our neighbours in North Yorkshire live in the biggest county in England, and I still can't remember the last time I heard national BBC News coverage of anything that happened in that county.

But perhaps that's because national news bulletins are becoming increasingly irrelevant. I gave up on national BBC TV and Radio news coverage years ago, and now totally rely on RSS feeds for my news coverage. I have a really nifty feed which delivers any news stories which mention Hebden Bridge direct to my desktop, and another for stories which mention Charles Darwin. Oh, and I also have (at the last count) 157 other news feeds, all of which are relevent to me. If Stense gets mentioned in the arty-farty press, I pick up on the story almost immediately (and totally freak her out by sending her a link—I suspect she thinks I'm stalking her). If someone links to Gruts or comments on one of my photos on Flickr or publishes the latest edition of a podcast I like, I am informed automagically. It's like having my own very, very personal newspaper.

So, if you haven't got into RSS feeds yet, why not give them a go? Hell, there's even one for Gruts. All you need is an RSS Reader (I use and recommend Google Reader), and the world is your oyster in a nutshell.

Gaa! The the cat's out of the bag! Now you know how it is that I am so incredibly well informed.

Richard Carter

A fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation.

One comment

  1. The last time I saw a report from North Yorkshire was when one of their reporters was standing in the GYS Showground talking about no country show during the foot and mouth outbreak. He pointed out that 40 miles north of here was Heddon-on-the-Wall, site of the previous outbreak. Actually it's more like 80 miles. He then went on to mention that Cumbria was the worst affected county last time round, and pointed in a westerly direction, as though it were just the next field.

    I'd rather get no attention than be bombed on a fortnightly basis though. Let Yorkshire grow the terrorists, then we'll ship 'em southwards.

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