James Hansen corrects BBC over Climate Change

[raspberry-blower]

Or, more accurately, James Hansen bitch slaps clueless beeb lackey.

http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens ... 42298.html

[Little John]

Or, more accurately, James Hansen bitch slaps clueless beeb lackey.

http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens ... 42298.html

Yeah, I listened to that interview live at the time. Radio 4's "Today" programme is surprisingly dumb on most things scientific I have found. I wonder if radio 4, generally, is populated with largely arts and humanities graduates.

[woodburner]

I think your assessment of the situation is melodramatic and does not reflect the professional way James Hansen dealt with the questions. I agree the line of questioning was puerile as is often the case. eg the John Humphries confrontation style. It's useful when dealing with lying politicians but not when dealing with something serious.

[Little John]

I think your assessment of the situation is melodramatic and does not reflect the professional way James Hansen dealt with the questions. I agree the line of questioning was puerile as is often the case. eg the John Humphries confrontation style. It's useful when dealing with lying politicians but not when dealing with something serious.

I made no mention of Hanson's responses, professional or otherwise, and so I fail to see your point. I specifically did, however, make mention of Radio 4 "Today" programme's general manner of dealing with this and other scientific topics.

With regard to your other point about this puerile (in your own words) style of questioning being more suitable for questioning politicians; again, I fail to see how such an interviewing tactic would be more enlightening for listeners than intelligent questions intelligently asked.

[biffvernon]

John Humphreys can be confrontational but he usually does it to provoke the interviewee into making the case robustly.

Sarah Montague's interview with James Hansen was more seriously flawed as it started with a seriously wrong assertion that Hansen had first to negate before he could get on with his case. Anyone listening to the opening remarks and then drifting off to concentrate on toast and marmalade would have been left with a wrong and damaging view of the existential crisis we face.

Seriously poor radio journalism.

[featherstick]

It's a bit of a shame. Humphreys is a plonker and far-too-often needlessly interrupts both interviewees and other journos and presenters with pointless remarks. Today has a dearth of female presenters and Sarah Montague gets handed the fluffy stories far too often. When she gets a decent piece of work like this she stuffs it up. Evan Davies is by far the best and when he is leading the programme is much improved.

[RenewableCandy]

It's Classics and PPE all the way at the Beeb. Except for humble technicians, like I was.

[Little John]

It's a bit of a shame. Humphreys is a plonker and far-too-often needlessly interrupts both interviewees and other journos and presenters with pointless remarks. Today has a dearth of female presenters and Sarah Montague gets handed the fluffy stories far too often. When she gets a decent piece of work like this she stuffs it up. Evan Davies is by far the best and when he is leading the programme is much improved.

Generally speaking, I agree with you about Evan Davies. However, I have detected of late a tendency, even by Davies, to adopt a more Humphrey-esque style of questioning.

[Little John]

It's Classics and PPE all the way at the Beeb. Except for humble technicians, like I was.

I guessed as much and it shows. I say all of that without in any way denigrating classics or PPE. It's just that a team of presenters on a news programme like the "Today" programme really should have a better balance of expertise than currently appears to be the case.

[RenewableCandy]

Yeah, Classics is great if you happen to be reporting on Greek tragedies or the decline of the Roman empire...oh hang on a minute...

[kenneal - lagger]

Yeah, Classics is great if you happen to be reporting on Greek tragedies or the decline of the Roman empire...oh hang on a minute...

[woodburner]

I think your assessment of the situation is melodramatic and does not reflect the professional way James Hansen dealt with the questions. I agree the line of questioning was puerile as is often the case. eg the John Humphries confrontation style. It's useful when dealing with lying politicians but not when dealing with something serious.

I made no mention of Hanson's responses, professional or otherwise, and so I fail to see your point. I specifically did, however, make mention of Radio 4 "Today" programme's general manner of dealing with this and other scientific topics.

With regard to your other point about this puerile (in your own words) style of questioning being more suitable for questioning politicians; again, I fail to see how such an interviewing tactic would be more enlightening for listeners than intelligent questions intelligently asked.

I was referring to RB. Your post wasn't there when I started typing.