Friday, 10 July 2015

Choosing an angle


Talking a few screengrabs from the home pages of the BBC, Sky and ITV News websites tonight shows the same story leading each broadcaster's online news coverage.

It also shows, however, some differences in focus, with ITV and Sky taking somewhat different tacks to the BBC.

ITV's coverage is straightforward. Its main story is:
Brits begin flying home from Tunisia after terror alert
British holidaymakers are returning home from Tunisia today after the Foreign Office warned a further terrorist attack 'highly likely'
And its accompanying stories are:  
* Ireland government advises against Tunisia travel
* What to do if you're in or were going to Tunisia


Sky News's coverage leads with a new video showing how the "gunman" Rezgui was "unchallenged by security forces, tourists or hotel staff", and has the following accompanying stories:
*Irish told to leave Tunisia as Britons flee
*Tunisia massacre killer's parents defend son


The BBC, alone among the three broadcasters, doesn't feature the news that the Irish government has joined the British government in telling its citizens to leave Tunisia. 

Its main story is:
Tunisia Britons fly home after alert
The first British tourists fly home from Tunisia. as the UK defends its decision to advise all British nationals to leave the country
The use of "as the UK defends its decision", uniquely among the three broadcasters, raises a question mark over the British government's decision.

The BBC's accompanying articles are...
* Militants killed in Tunisia mountains
* What next for Tunisia holidaymakers?
* "We would have stayed in Tunisia"
* Tunisia Britons 'confused' and 'angry' 
...two for which also put dissatisfaction with the UK government's decision at the forefront of BBC online readers' minds.


There usually seems to be an angle when it comes to BBC reporting. Do you agree that there's one here?