Read this: 13/03/2020 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts the BBC's coverage of the Corona virus epidemic or pandemic has the world Health Organization has certainly been extensive but has it sometimes being from the reporting of absolute numbers without giving adequate context by also reporting relativities is in my view a long-standing weakness of much of BBC News reporter.

Is it? I'll be talking about the corporations coverage and that of social media with the BBC's medical correspondent Ferguson actually I think the report generally on this has been pretty good and I haven't noticed too many minutes here and I think people are buying large taking a sensible response that is he stockpiling loo rolls.

Also this week does Clare Balding need to be more aware of where she's walking 2 episode 2 the current series of rambling for radio.

Contain little or no reference to the Landscape that has been walked in and asked who decided rambling should become just another touch so you can but has such a decision been made the programs editor Dimitri houtart, if he has indeed decided to change course and we can go out of your comfort zone feature.

We are two listeners to tune into what the BBC say.

This is one of its most popular podcasts it features ex England and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is comments on the the Rooney Ronaldo incident in the 2006 World Cup when Rooney was sent off in the wind was caught on camera.

I thought he said was interesting that's about as good as It Gets find out more later in feedback.

One story Leeds every News Bulletin at the moment the spread of Corona virus which seems to be impacting on every aspect of our lives and it remains the main topic of conversation in our in this is what some of you have had to say about the recent coverage first up is Pauline from Birmingham I think the Radio 4 coverage of coronavirus has been well planned in a situation but for hysteria the very current advice on hand washing can hardly be repeated too often my name is Felicity Palmer and I live in West London I am frustrated the Doom Laden a never-ending coverage of what might happen in England if there is an epidemic.

We need to be alerted and told what measures to take and have been ad nauseam.

This is overkill on a ridiculous scale and I now turn it off in disgust and put music on a joined by the BBC's medical correspondent Fergus Walsh as soon as you wash your hands before you going to the did it downstairs and what did you sing Happy Birthday for at least 20 seconds well, let's do with the news about the coverage and the allegation that a horrible word to use overkill, but that in some ways.

We've been looking at the worst too frequently is that a fair criticism do you think I don't think it is tracking this new disease this new virus, which only emerged at the end of December and it proved very quickly that it has huge potential.

We saw how it overwhelmed health services in Wuhan in China where the Outbreak began and we've seen much closer to home.

How some cream?

Play units in Italy say there a step away from collapse with patients being treated in corridors, running out of ventilators, and what does in Italy and China have said this is coming your way, so you really need to take it seriously and that's just the potential for health if you look at what's happening with the economy.

This is touching everybody's lives so it's a global Health story that's prompting the biggest global reaction of any story.

I've covered since the emergence of HIV in the early 80s extensively, but I think one of the concerns are expressed by Felicity is that too often it's the worst case scenario the worst case scenario definition the worst case and is less likely to happen than other things so how correct is it to 1 people of that worst case frequently, but I don't think we are in.

The worst case scenario at all.

We're constantly trying to calibrate and keep a sense of perspective, so I have time and time again.

I reiterated that for 405 people this will be a mild illness and that they will make a full recovery and even if you're in one of the at-risk groups even if your elderly will have underlying health conditions most people will get through this but when you have the potential for huge numbers.

It's the minority then the ends up being a big number as well.

So that's why all these public health measures that have been talked about quarantine Zone closing schools restricting sporting events social distancing I trying to flatten the curve of Health Services can cope with listeners Daniel story has an issue with numbers in my view the BBC has the capability and responsibility to settle the emerging data for the Corona virus, Outbreak

Context the reporting of absolute numbers without giving adequate context by also reporting relativities is in my view a long-standing weakness of much of BBC News reporting every time a journalist or analyst put a number in a report they should be asking is this a big or small number and how do we know that chicken? That's a valid point to on several occasions.

Yes, we've got a few hundred cases in a population of 66 million, so we have tried and online we have huge amounts of information and numbercruncher available.

It's difficult the numbers are difficult because we don't yet have a firm grasp on what the mortality rate the death rate of this is the best estimate we have its 1% of that would if we had a big epidemic that would obviously be very serious but we haven't been stressing numbers.

What could be the Likely death toll with much more?

Rebecca Johnson has a point about accuracy fed up with commentators and people phoning in or emailing to say that coronavirus Corbett 19 is no more dangerous than flu if you listen to carefully to an emergency department Dr calling in to any answers on Saturday you will have heard that called 19 is at least 10 times more dangerous than flu in terms of deaths and around twice as infectious all figures released so far from China and elsewhere there this calculation out.

So when does if they do say, it's normal dangerous than flu most people will understand that is being recent flu epidemic it snow more Rangers that is wrong.

It is more dangerous.

It is more dangerous seasonal flu, that's going around this winter and still we're just cleaning the onto this if you're travelling around the most likely viral infection that's going to let you know.

Is seasonal flu but that is changing very quickly and it's the potential here not just for this to seriously affect the elderly and those with underlying this also quite randomly is making younger people some younger people very very small minority, but especially Healthcare workers who are exposed to a lot of them potentially ill and causing a number of guests as well, so so this is not something that only affects the elderly and those with suppressed immune system of course in the circumstances.

You want reporting to be very well not restrained but accurate and nonsense station list.

This is not saying what are often associated with social media do when you're looking for and do you worry about people's access to inaccurate information on social media that are scary stories out there which should be knocked down.

Yes, that is a concern and there are efforts.

Play by social media companies allow others to deal with bad.

I've actually found Twitter to be an incredible resource as long as you pick the right people to follow for very accurate information that scientists are sharing data about this emerging disease all the time and it comes up quickest via social media so it's actually in some ways re4 good.

Do you have absolute confidence in the information you're getting from government because often these circumstances people are suspicious of government's interest and try to steer the in one Way Or Another are you absolutely happy with information you're getting I'm happy with the data.

We're getting from public health officials the UK has a very long and strong public health and tracking of diseases and is really second to none in the world, but in terms of the figures of cases.

They have got a few hundred cases now.

You can probably Malta

Those by tenfold or it may be many more than that and that's not a criticism.

It's simply that so many people will get a mild infection and not realised and not realising that's the same hopefully that is the case the more people who got this that we don't know about the better because then we start to build up that herd immunity and you yourself knowing all the to do has your personal behaviour changed during the course of the day often.

Do you wash and I'm watching them as often as I was but I feel every time I go into a public bathroom or public space.

I have to set the example and washed an even more rigorously than I did and in the last couple of days.

I stop shaking hands at all.

That was in Paris at the weekend and I'm afraid with with family there.

It was irresistible.

They want to kiss you on both cheeks, but I tried to introduce them to the elbow.

It's wanting to provide the information that they still miss going round that you really think time and again.

Let's hit that on the

Actually, I think the reporting generally on this has been pretty good and I haven't noticed too many minutes here and I think people are buying large taking sensible at response to it's this buying loo rolls, which I've got no idea but I think it's the thing that people say if the shops are things the one thing I don't want to run out of loo rolls, but you don't need and I have not stopped up on our thanks to Fergus wash the BBC's medical correspondent.

Please let us know what you think about that interview or anything to do with BBC Radio podcasts.

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We're asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zone to a program that would normally be on their radar this week.

We have that Peter Crouch podcast it's made by five live and occasionally broadcast on the network, but it's best known as a cost a new one appears every Wednesday and is available on BBC sounds it said to be one of the most popular BBC podcasts which claims 12 million download to listen and to review This we have Karen rasmussen from York and no land from Bristol just to get a sense of your taste.

What would be your top 3 programmes if you were stranded?

Silent program and comedy depending on what happens to be at the moment, I'm really into the table on Monday evenings at 6:30 Perkins program.

Yeah, I know your favourite 3 and In Our Time on the Thursday the life Science on a Tuesday and I'm not sure after that time.

I listen to a lot Inside Science at the be quite a few were coming to third place where we certainly put your comforts Nothing by asking you to listen to This podcast and Karen how do you describe this explain? What about please will be great footballer himself, but it absolutely straight from the start.

He said this is shambolic in Liverpool England exactly and I love my football so don't get me wrong, but this was just chaotic good.

I mean, it's obviously trying to create azure friendly relaxed feeling so he said yeah, it's like a night down the pub without the beer.

Did you enjoy the atmosphere at to begin with was it the fact that nothing happened after that concerns you you've hit the nail on the head there.

I mean heading the ball is a really important issue.

I love my football and I was really looking forward to getting Peter crouch's insight as a professional player and every time they have got near to heading the ball into the net the ball went somewhere else if you see what I mean.

Well.

I've seen with the program was to be heading because he scored more headed goals in anybody else in the Premier League but it didn't deal with the medical.

Where is that what it felt like the footballer to learn that a lifetime's heading to give you the measure exactly exactly it was just so disappointing and a substructure the jokey blokey bounce which is Eno good for football.

It's usually quite funny and there was some good jokes, but I kept thinking you know.

Where are we going to go with this never done this started to approach the subject off.

They went again.

No you describe the structure of the program for us all the podcast is essentially three very laddish lads having a good laugh over a curry and a glass of lager.

It's audience.

It is largely under 5-year olds are likely to listen to Radio 5.

I'm a typical Radio 4 listen and I thought the podcast was dreadful well advertised itself as saying that be stronger an adult humour as far as I could see the strong language was used of the f word and the word bitch which they use quite a lot and the humour were included how many sausages can you put up my voice not say which part of the human adult?

Yes, it was at all, but it wasn't offensive we were forewarned at the beginning of the program and it's easy enough to stop a podcast or switch the device off if you don't like it, but I thought the conversation and observations were trivial I thought the Roker scaffolding was embarrassingly juvenile and the podcast for me had hardly any redeeming moments you just LinkedIn here.

What's been going on yeah, just a football injury.

I believe you know what the only thing I say is that your lymph was a little bit inconsistent you would have thought that was a person Peter Crouch and with his length of experience in football that you didn't retire early with 38 that there would be lots of insights about what happened in the dressing room and so on did you did you get a real insight into what it was like to be a footballer not at all and that's what really disappointed me because I had heard such good things about this podcast so although it's out of my comfort zone.

I was really look.

Forward to getting some more information from the player himself, so did you find you learnt anything? You didn't know that you really got inside you know what it's like to be a footballer playing in the Premier League I think so, I had that there were some interesting moments Peter crouch's comments on centre forward to have played with and sent the horse he had played against and how he would target the weaker of the two more interesting and his comments on the the Rooney Ronaldo incident in the 2006 World Cup of the wink when Rooney was sent off in the wing was caught on camera so we didn't address those few points after I thought what he said was interested in buying has been sent off devastated and all the lads Around the World Cup it's it's hard to sort of lift the place really.

Do you think I should get over it? Yes, I played in the game and I'm over it.

What is what was the role Tom fordyce and Chris Stark well? I said that it was three very large large, but the two companions are actually professional journalists one of whom Constable for Ghost writing Peter crouch's autobiography, so they weren't quite what they appear to be and I think they were actually leaving the conversation leading the agendas at work and I do feel that the the following and the the laughter was choreographed really because it just came in for no apparent reason all of a sudden it started falling in you think nothing funny.

It's been a while ago following you won't let it on the joke.

I don't think there was a joke about the role of the two companions a job was because I mean I love Chris Stark I think he's a brilliant foil to Scott Mills for example on Radio 2 and Tom fordyce.

As I think they were aiming to be bromance rather than sycophantic and it didn't agree with no it was something false about all the offering.

I think my last question is probably then redundancy isn't it be worth and comfort zone, but would you listen to the podcast again Karen please don't make me listen to it again and how about you? You know I was worried that it might last an hour to be honest.

I was so grateful when it's finished after 30 minutes and I'll rather not listen to it again.

Thank you.

Well.

You don't have to say thanks to Nolan from Bristol and to Karen rasmussen from York and do let us know if you would like to take part in that feature and go outside your comfort zone.

bramblings one of radio for Scotland programmes has been presented by Clare Balding since 1999 the premises straightforward go for a walk through the countryside with interesting people draw them out a couple of weeks ago one of our out of your comfort zone and listen installed the Walkers and the program and got lost that was anticipating lots of nature noises you know like trees rustling and twittering babbling Brooks and it turns out that some more of you feel the same way Steven McCarthy from Weston-super-Mare this program has moved away from the mixture of description of nature and chat that would be featured to just chat chat no more chat feedback everyone agrees Jan Mitchell from Vancouver BC Canada I just finished listening to the latest installment of Clare Balding excellent program, Rambler

This episode with inderjit bhogal they were walking the Wilberforce way.

I go on that would be the case.

I've lived here 50 years in this country and today 50 years old.

I'm saying to you if I was walking here on my own and I would feel a bit vulnerable and feel that I well I can't take any risks.

You know this was a classic episode in which Egyptian very helpful and inspiring moments from his life of service to the church and to refugees and immigrants clergy and was at her best as an excellent listener, but some lessons do think the program has lost its Moira Chaplin let's go back.

Star ramblings nice ordinary people taking a walk and talking about ordinary things none of this spiritual well, I'm delighted to joined by Dimitri to the editor of rambling and is also the executive editor of rural affairs in Bristol welcome to the program.

Have you changed ramblings know we haven't really sorry some of the audience feel like we may have changed I can reassure them that it's been absolutely no change of Direction what I meant I have been a change of Direction but the first programme was essentially a celebrity interview with Helen Glover Olympic rower.

Anna has to Battle that was launched Leanne interview with two celebrities wasn't that was different from usual so I can start with the lack of description of the Landscape I would say which hand side.

I agree that you know we could have had a bit more in that program, but it's probably several reason why this can happen first nuts all the work.

We do what a beautiful landscape.

We are taken to place well guests take us.

You said we walk guest design and we joined them.

We love natural song with birdsong.

I'm in here in Bristol you mean will also produce tweet of the day so it you know we absolutely love that but actually walks if you walk into open you can do an entire wall without any birds the point about the one with Helen Glover was there wasn't much of a walk.

You were so interested in the two celebrities husband that actually didn't travel very far.

So what that was true.

He was also probably good to point out that Helen was about to give birth possibly on the day off so we could literally walk that far.

So that's that's program was an exceptionally of you.

It doesn't indicate a change in direction of things so now you know and I'm sorry because we really want to take deodorant on a journey with us if we didn't quite a few that in the program.

I'm sorry we didn't have another change of Direction What Makes rambling special rather different from the other interview programmes on Radio 4.

LU7 difference but the key thing it's so walking interview if I can call it like that and that's is really important because it makes a difference and several level when you walk and you chat to somebody you don't have with I contact and that is probably small difference between different if you see him studio face-to-face.

You know by not having to contact you can start to share things which are much more personal without feeling awkward and so you can get much more personal stories from you guessed and sometimes they tell us things out with anybody the other point is that also when you walk, it's normal to have silence it doesn't feel awkward.

You know if you're going to silence in studio discussion it feel very people feel like they need to feel the airtime fill the gap where when you walk you can of Silence you can reflect and you can really let you just think about what they want to share and hard.

Reflection time and how to decide on the Walk itself take the case of individual burger for example by the canal was that his decision or your decision on the Walk it's actually decide on to guess so we the decision first made on the guess if you want cost to get us to weed we get selection and lot of people email us the people we know things that you know the production team can meet people we get in touch with people and we select guests and we do on a walk with the guest and often the work is meaningful to be guess we choose the wall staircase on the wall which is very important for us and our chaplain said she prefers ordinary people and celebrities.

Are you choosing more celebrities? Nowadays? I don't think we're of August that chosen because I've got something they want to share which we think is interesting they've got an interesting story to tell and walking it's also part of their lives.

Some of those may happen to be celebrity before you do celebrity.

We don't do it for celebrity say unlike some other programs.

I'm a Celebrity when they're trying to send you a book to all the latest film doesn't happen with us.

We do it because you know hopefully they can share something that's maybe the general public doesn't know about them well my recap and also says none of the spiritual stuff, please and what's your latest series is quite a lot of this spiritual stuff for example.

I listen to the programme with Brian Draper about the Labyrinth at St Catherine's Hill Winchester where people went on I suppose you could say it was a retreat to spiritual theme for this current series we get a lot of potential story's potential guests and we look at who may be interested in some time before we can see a pattern of a female merging because a lot of the potential guests are talking about a similar theme and does sometime.

Why would you say to do a theme in series?

23 Walton ramble with Claire and nothing was not the subject.

I was just following for this program and will strengthen you recorded something like 2/2 to 3 hours worth of material then had to be boiled down to know within half an hour part of the beauty of the program again when we talk about what makes something different.

I think the fact that we've got the luxury of time.

I'm not everybody realise but we do want the full wall keeps time with the guests that produce a Karen and Claire which allows clear to develop a personal relationship with her guests in order to really gets done in the heart of the interview.

Thanks to do meet you.

Tell the BBC's executive editor of rural affairs and that's it for this week.

Please writing and phoning in we will be back next week come What May even if it has to be from my attic until then goodbye.