EXCLUSIVE: BBC News presenters have been told they can relax their formal attire for more authentic reporting as the channel tries to reinvent its 24-hour news channel.
BBC News digital director Naja Nielsen told staff last week that the grim “sweaty and dirty” look some journalists take on when they’re not in the studio could be more trustworthy.
Nielsen was speaking as the BBC stepped up plans to merge BBC World News with its local news channel to cut costs and make its ongoing news editions more attractive to online audiences. Executives claim that this is an opportunity to create the best news channel in the world.
Nielsen told staff, “It’s like being this sweaty and dirty when we’re in the field is more reliable than looking like we just came from an awards show or a nice dinner.”
Some presenters take this as a sign to drop suits and dresses. According to a source, there have already been changes to the on-screen dress code, suggesting that weather presenter Tomasz Schafernaker wore a jacket and t-shirt at least once. Other insiders said Nielsen’s comments were simply her desire for more authenticity.
Her goal is to encourage more smartphone camera coverage from journalists as the channel seeks to engage the TikTok generation. She told journalists that her mother was impressed with the studio presentation, but her children were less so.
The newly launched channel will feature more links from the heart of the newsroom and, as one insider put it, “moderators standing in front of giant iPads to demonstrate how we review footage.”
The BBC News Channel will have a team of eight journalists who will act as both correspondents and studio presenters. Recruitment for the positions is ongoing.
Deadline revealed earlier this month that 10 of the BBC’s most experienced presenters face an uncertain future after being told they will not be main presenters on the channel.
Martine Croxall, Ben Brown and Annita McVeigh were among those who failed. The station’s cast includes: Matthew Amroliwala, Yalda Hakim, Christian Fraser, Lucy Hockings and Maryam Moshiri. You will earn a whopping £230,000 ($276,000).
The BBC hopes to launch the new channel on April 3, although insiders said the changes would be phased in over an unspecified period. Pilots are underway, with a test run of the new schedule on March 6.
A senior source said: “The single-channel operation will be a phased launch over months, with different elements being rolled out over time. Nobody should get stuck in April or expect everything to change suddenly.”
Paul Royall, acting editor of BBC News Channels, said he had high hopes for the newly launched service. “My goal, my goal is for us to have the best global news channel in the world,” he told staff.
The channel will carry more international news but will be split for key UK news to offer tailored coverage to local audiences. It will anchor from London during the day and evening and from Washington DC and Singapore at night.
A source said the BBC had not yet got its technical set-up in Washington in order and local people considered the operation a “mess”.
Many problems remain about dealing with moderators with decades of experience. “People are angry about it,” says an insider. “Producers believe the presenters were brutalized.”
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
