Comments on: Robert Peston’s sources

By: manmademound

manmademound — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:05:47 +0000

Robert Peston has found new ways of communicating issues around The Crunch http://manmademound.blogspot.com/2008/10/pestons-picks-robert-peston-or-robert.html

By: The news about Robert Peston: meta-reporting? | hackademic.net

The news about Robert Peston: meta-reporting? | hackademic.net — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:51:54 +0000

[…] Journalists and media-watchers have also had the chance to read interview profiles of Peston in The Independent and The Guardian. Both allude to his contacts and brilliant scoops, of course — but don’t address directly how far he’s managing to steer the narrow course between reporter of scoops and cypher. […]

By: Richard Young

Richard Young — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:27:26 +0000

My problem is that he’s just not a very good broadcaster. Most laypeople I know don’t think he’s explained what’s going on very clearly - and for me (I write about business and finance for a living) he’s clearly too constrained by the limits of the mass medium to offer any genuinely useful insights. His delivery is terrible and he always inserts himself into his reports. (By way of balance, lots of women seem to like him, although not for his journalism.)

But worst of all, he’s made the most disastrous compromise: in lieu of finding a way to explain tremendously complex subjects to people with limited understanding, he sensationalises the stories with provocative language. That might engage his viewers - but it’s simply encouraging them to panic, worsening the crisis. One might almost think he wanted to make the interbank lending lull (because that’s pretty much all it is, although I concede it’s exacerbating a necessary economic slowdown) worse to ensure he gets more screen time.

To address your specific issue, it’s a bit disappointing that he uses this kind of dubious government information in the way he does. Peston used to be part of the system - he ran Quest for Terry Smith over at Collins Stewart and he must have a bajillion City and business contacts from his time in the print media. There are lots of ways to both explain and contextualise this story without helping the government with its leaks. Factual reporting is, at the end of the day, a broadcaster’s job. It might be frustrating for him, but Peston is there to enlighten, not show off that he’s been chosen to receive a state version of the Friday night drop.

By: Adrian Monck

Adrian Monck — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:49:08 +0000

Richard. I’m afraid I rather admire Peston as a reporter. But I do think he finds himself conflicted when he’s obviously being leaked sensitive information from people who really ought to make public announcements.

Is it the price of success? Well, yes. But then is it a price a responsible, independent broadcaster ought to be paying? Discuss.

By: Richard Young

Richard Young — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:35:53 +0000

Typical Peston. In bigging himself up, he does the BBC and the reputation of business journalism (and business itself, come to that) a great disservice. Peston must go…