Shown with her father. Prince she shown with her father. Prince harry posts his own footage of his first Public Engagement since his announcement of stepping back from oil duties. One of the view who got in touch with us this week about coverage of the duke and duchess of sussex was tara physic, and she joins us from our studio in exeter and with me is paul royle, editor of the bbcs news at six and news at ten. Why were you unhappy about the coverage of this story . ten. Why were you unhappy about the coverage of this story . I think after several days of coverage of the sussexes in various guises and different stories after their announcement, wanting to have a private life in canada, weve we really have had our feel and private life in canada, weve we really have had ourfeel and i flicked on the news as i often do, praying that the bbc would not open and lead another bulletin with a story about the sussexes only to discover that there was a story largely speculative about thomas
markle. I had my head in my hands andi markle. I had my head in my hands and i flicked over, markle. I had my head in my hands and iflicked over, i could not take anymore and i was very disappointed, you know, i was waiting for some there are many, many great bbc reporter is both nationally and internationally which i would have Better Stories than another story about the sussexes. Lots of points there so lets start with too much coverage. Paul, in the past week it has been in the headlines of bbc one bulletins every day. Have you been overdoing it . Ithink bulletins every day. Have you been overdoing it . I think first of all it isa overdoing it . I think first of all it is a serious story. It is a major story around the royal family and their future. And there is huge audience interest in the story. At the same time i completely take taras point but what i would say is across bbc news, i think we lead on the story when it was a legitimate lead story. But we also had the crisis surrounding iran on our
website and radio bulletins last friday, we lead the news on stormont and the return of the Northern Ireland executive, what is going on regarding Climate Change and the changing planet has been the lead story and highly prominent as well so story and highly prominent as well soi story and highly prominent as well so i think in the round, the balance has been about right. Tara, to be fair, it is a big story, isnt it . He seemed concerned partly about the speculation rather than the story . |j speculation rather than the story . did, indeed. I had no issues with the original story of the sussexes going to canada. Obviously Public Interest in the finances. I am all behind that and coverage of that. However, there had been all online and since early that morning, wednesday morning, a lot of coverage on other lesser media of the speculation that Thomas Markle might have to testify so very much conjecture and no, no cashback nothing definitive or factual
nothing definitive or factual nothing definitive or factual nothing definitive or factual and nothing definitive or factual nothing definitive orfactual and i was disappointed when the bbc that with that article. Paul, that has happened in the past week is the news has been sitting back and meeting with the most of the coverage about whether Thomas Markle may testify, is it news, it is just speculation and it serves you know the agenda of certain newspapers. Obviously we avoid speculation and we obviously we avoid speculation and we try to base our coverage and a journalism in context and properly sourced information. The issue regarding Thomas Markle was, was it came out of court papers involving the case between the daily mail and Meghan Markle that had emerged the night before. The following day there was all there is this prospect of Thomas Markle potentially testifying against his daughter in this court so it is all being called asa this court so it is all being called as a significant witness for the daily mail and that is what that
reporting was doing. Ok. Tara, i know you have concerns about the impact of the coverage on the couple themselves, dont you . impact of the coverage on the couple themselves, dont you . I do. I do. I feel that i am fairly neutral on the night on the royals, ifeel on the whole they do a good job and i am also coverage and reporting on their movements and what they are doing for the public and of course how they are funded. But they would like to change their lives and i think then they should really be allowed to get on with it. I think to hound them, it is a slow ever since that announcement, the amount i take the point that yes, other media are all over it and it is a frenzied period of reporting. But i just feel that once it starts to get into areas of speculation, unless it is in the Public Interest. Paul, i think there is a lot of viewers feel there is a difference between the top line of a story and the way that the papers turn it into something that seems to be quite dark and should the bbc not be robbing back a bit from it now . I think part of the
challenge here is this is obviously getting major coverage across the media, across television, across newspapers, across online, social media. And so there is the sense of wherever you turn, you are hearing or seeing this story, whether you are, whether you want to tell whether youre interested in or not. The couple themselves though, as ta ra the couple themselves though, as tara was saying. These are sort of issues do fall into our editorial conversations about whether we should be covering this story or not and whether we have a legitimate editorial purpose in doing it and i can reassure tara that we do have those conversations and also, in other times, bbc news, those conversations and also, in othertimes, bbc news, we those conversations and also, in other times, bbc news, we cover some of the great work that harry and meghan have done around the issue for example of Mental Health and raising awareness and over that issue. The last word to you, do you feel reassured by what you have heard . I feel partly reassured. Feel reassured by what you have heard . Ifeel partly reassured. I feel concerned, though, paul raised another point there which is interesting, really, you justified
coverage by saying that there is an enormous frenzy and enormous amount of interest in them and the other media andi of interest in them and the other media and i did feel, i will be honest, when i switch the news on and labour that article that there was a reactionary response are different like that because the news had been around since the night before and i feel as though the bbc should be doing more to lead media rather than follow. Well have to leave it there, tara physick and paul, thank you very much. Now, one of the rows during the Campaign Leading up to decembers general election concerned borisjohnsons failure to appear as invited and as other Party Leaders had on the andrew neil show. Since then, number ten downing st has made it clear that neither the Prime Minister nor other senior ministers would be interviewed on radio fors today programme anytime soon. So there were programme anytime soon. So there were some programme anytime soon. So there were some interest in where or if mr johnson would be appearing on the bbc airwaves in the new year. The answer, tuesdays Breakfast Programme and among the subjects covered in a half hour conversation
was the proposal for big covered in a half hour conversation was the proposalfor big ben covered in a half hour conversation was the proposal for big ben to chime on the night the uk leave the eu. We are working up a plan so people can bunk a bob for big ben bong so there are some people who. Bunk a. Bong so there are some people who. Bunka. I bong so there are some people who. Bunk a. I havent quite worked out. I love the fact that you are developing policy live on tv. No, because, as everyone developing policy live on tv. No, because, as everyone knows, big ben is being refurbished and they have taken, you is being refurbished and they have ta ken, you know, is being refurbished and they have taken, you know, they seem to have taken, you know, they seem to have taken the taken, you know, they seem to have ta ken the club taken, you know, they seem to have taken the club away so we need to restore the club. In order to bong big ben for, on bricks at night. Maggie approved of the way dan walker conducted the interview, e mailing but others felt breakfast was not an appropriate outlet for this encounter. Sue williams wrote
we asked breakfast why they had invited mrjohnson onto the programme to be questioned by dan walker. They told us in response that wednesdays news at six letter news ofa wednesdays news at six letter news of a significant Clinical Trial aimed atfinding of a significant Clinical Trial aimed at finding treatments for motor neuron disease for which there are currently no effective treatments, let alone a cure. The reporter here, Health Correspondent dominic hughes. Hmm. One, two. Ruth was an active runnerand hmm. One, two. Ruth was an active runner and cyclist when she was diagnosed a little over two years
ago. Now, the illness is affecting not just her speech but ago. Now, the illness is affecting notjust her speech but also her ability to walk. But at edinburgh university, scientists are preparing to launch one of the biggest mnd drug trials in the uk. Mike had this response there was rather less love around earlier in the week after bbc news featured items about a certain itv reality show. If you havent been following developments in the villa in south africa one contestant Ollie Williams has left the programme after admitting he had feelings for someone back home. This is what Gwyneth Elliott had to say
thank you for all your comments this week. If you want to share your opinions on what you see or hear on bbc news, or read online, or even appear on the programme, these do e mail us. Or you appear on the programme, these do e mail us. Oryou can appear on the programme, these do e mail us. Or you can find us on twitter. You can call us and do have a look at previous discussions on our website. That is all from us. We will be back to hear your thoughts about bbc News Coverage again next week. Goodbye. Hello. So much of the past week indeed, so much of the year thus far seems to have been dominated
by cloud and wind and rain. At least there was something of a change on friday. It was a bright but really quite showery day for some and, of course, at slightly higher levels in scotland, it has led to a covering of snow. But at last, at last, at last, just in time for the weekend, we can talk about drier and sunnier weather. Its the other face of winter. So there will be some night time frost and some ice around. And heres the set up low pressure still close by to the north of the British Isles over the past few hours, and it doesnt look very promising when you look out into the atlantic a low pressure. But whats this . Its driving away towards biscay and here, just in time for the weekend to settle things very nicely, a big area of high pressure, and it keeps on doing its stuff, for the most part, into the middle of the forthcoming week as well. So that is a real transformation. But the weekend will start much colder with a hint of frost about it something that many of you wont have seen for a good wee while, but at least does mean its
going to be drier and its going to be sunnier as well. Yes, there are still showers to be had on this north westerly wind, most noticeable across the North Eastern quarter of scotland and through the northern isles, and no more the 12, 13, i, which is where weve been in places over the past few days. Temperatures resolutely there in single figures. And with clear skies persisting under the influence of that area of high pressure, there will be a widespread frost away from the coast as we start sunday. Somewhere is going to ii or 5 something of that order. But here we go again. A lot of dry, fine, sunny, crisp winter weather. The exception, perhaps this south westerly, and more cloud just keeping the North Western quarter of scotland that wee bit milder. There, the sunshine tempered by the amount of cloud. But elsewhere, it could be wall to wall sunshine. From sunday on into monday, a cold and frosty start for the southern half of the British Isles. The mild air there in place across the north. Watch out there could be more more
extensive fog patches for the commute on monday, but essentially, its much the same sort of fare. The exception thicker cloud may be just producing the odd spot of rain through the northern and western isles. And as i take you on into the forthcoming week, under the influence of that high pressure, perhaps a subtle change in wind directions mayjust mean that many more of us get some of that mild air, but it will stay dry for most. This is bbc news welcome if youre watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. Im simon pusey. Our top stories prosecutor turns defender President Trump adds ken starr, the man who sought bill clintons impeachment, to his team. The us says it will screen passengers from china for symptoms of a new virus that has killed two people and infected many more. Four teachers in los angeles sue Delta Airlines after a plane dumped fuel on their school during an emergency landing. Record amounts of cocaine are being produced in colombia much of it ends up in europe. So what happens when a user talks directly to a producer . So you never take cocaine yourself