I watch the BBC news. Every night. It’s on ‘series record’. Forever. Can’t miss it. It’s like my 5 prayers a day all wrapped up into a neat little 25 minute segment. It’s sacred. And it has to be BBC. Because I pay 175 quid a year, and will my entire life, even after I’m 75 for my sodding license and I need to get value from it. Ok, I watch Killing Eve too so that’s becoming something of a bargain. Add in a few ‘rockumentaries’ on BBC4 which were all made in 1983 and that’s my tv for the week sorted. Until the football season starts, obvs. I can’t watch the news on ITV. It’s horrible. Sky News is just rubbish and the 24 hour news channels simply endless padding and waffle. If I want to know about the trade in locally sourced, recyclable, hand-made straw baskets from Ethiopia employing at least 14 people and regenerating somewhere I’ve never heard of, I’ll google it. Don’t need to watch a 75 minute ‘story’ on CNN.

So I ‘know’ the main team at the Beeb. Some I love, some I don’t. But having researched this, pretty unconsciously (as in most of my life) I’ve reached a conclusion. Concerning the two journalistic ‘stars’ of our nationalised tv channel.

I like John Sopel (America; never seen without a White House), but don’t like Lyse Doucet (middle-east; terrible voice). Love Clive Myrie and Hugh the Welshman and Rita Chakrabarti and Sophie Rayworth.

But the two who dominate the news screens, and have since the whole Europe issue began (ie before the vote, when it was all stupid buses and other lies) are Laura Kuensberg (Politics) and Katya Adler (Europe). Both are quite brilliant. Incisive. Talented. Analytical. But their styles are so different.

Katya Adler (who speaks 73 languages fluently and 27 more just because) presents a warm, accessible face, always quite positive, even if the news she’s delivering isn’t. Always bright, matter of fact and upbeat. She’s always interviewing a Barnier or a Junkers or some other Euro stuffed shirt and asks difficult questions with charm and friendliness.

Laura Kuensberg interviewed Boris yesterday. She prefers a more… IN YER FUCKIN’ FACE!!! approach to journalism. She has one of those naturally whingeing, nasal voices and only employs it in a very negative and completely aggressive way. She is a pit-bull with a Scottish accent. So she cuts straight to the point. No messing, no circling round issues. “Mr Johnson, what do you say to people who think you’re an untrustworthy CUNT!!??” That kind of thing. She doesn’t leave wriggle room. In fact she doesn’t really ask questions but just puts very strong opinions, always scathing, and forms them into questions. “Would you say that failure to talk about the row with Carrie just leaves people questioning your character and fitness to run a government?”

Today she’s interviewing Jeremy Hunt. God help him.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx