Read this: 15/04/2022 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts the media coverage of the war in Ukraine is intensive Some Might Say unrelenting extra does the BBC latest podcast have to offer one way is keeping it real face with no idea about being caught up in a wall and I'm sure it's factual but very one-sided in feedback this week putting that concern to Jonathan aspinwall the editor of Ukraine cost and 21 list the title and then that talks made the Radio 4 history programmes sound quite unpromising is believing Masters programme literally stopped me in my tracks and brought me to tears and now I feel more prepared for what's ahead and more able to reflect on what's already been experienced Emma is talking about the process of dying never an easy topic.

I'll be speaking to the lens talks producer Dan Tierney about whether his programs are aimed at everyone not just Christians and how he choose.

Subjects and the speakers and 40 years after the Falklands conflict to listeners from Ireland's at opposite ends of the UK on a programme about the Falklands today did they need a history primer backgrounds to give us an understanding intended ages yourself would would have benefited?

first there was brexit Cast then newscast than americast and now Ukraine cast the latest BBC news podcast was born on the first day of invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February it's hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and international Gabriel Gatehouse with contributions from correspondence such as Frank Gardner this week Day podcast is a combination of hard news human interest stories and expert analysis is the address he will never be able to cleanse the blood from his hands and it's vitaly also in the studio in London for the past 48 hours or so which was going to bring you up-to-date on Ukrainian president of a lot from Twitter Ukraine cast is always a

He's basically input from Frank Gardner but the segment on cold was a real ray of hope that your man just normal people of the world talking to each other can change the world from Twitter only recommend you Chromecast which is a wonderful production informative sensitive respectful and featuring real people asking to the Horrors of Russia's war in Ukraine amazing work.

I'm delighted to be joined by the editor of you Chromecast Jonathan aspinwall now well into the second month of this war atrocities follows you ever try and protect the audience from the awful reality of what is happening or do you see you have an honest and obligation to spell out the details? I think application Rodger to be really clear with the audience about the atrocities that are happening and to not sanitise the details were really clear this and that of vodka.

We have warnings on BBC sounds on are different podcast providers, but I think it's really important that we don't sanitise the truth that we don't sanitise some of the powerful reporting coming from the Lights of Jeremy Bowen another report on the ground and I'll language services and also our powerful emotional case studies were telling us there truestar reality well.

It is very disturbing maybe necessarily disturbing but some listeners have conflicting feelings clear Mortensen BBC News team is leading in terms of lithium the program reflects well on the Talents in the BBC but it's incredibly hard program to hear I do listen to it most days, but it has a focus on the tragic.

I know it's incredibly anything even slightly positive from Ukraine so appreciate the Ukraine cost team.

How hard job to do? I always learn something new from it is it's a hard lesson?

Faceted with your other podcast newscast in America stay strong sense of humour you felt caps the Sitting light at 9 with a glass of something in their hand and the ending was serious matters, but also fun as well if you can't cancel that misfire on this program.

Can't you it's not the place to make job is not supposed to make jokes and this is a very serious podcast having said that the mix of items within an episode of really really key so we will in Any Given episode.

We will hear some of that tester me but we will also hear some of the best analysis from the BBC Correspondents on the ground from the BBC language service is from the BBC monitoring services, so we will look at this information.

We will look at The Propaganda battles that are going on so there is respite within any given episode with some of those very very powerful stories that we been here is another observation from listening about your car from Twitter about being caught up in a war.

I'm sure it's factual but very one-sided and half of the emergency presenters on the studio red sofa a couple of points that first of all that it's one-sided there's nobody sitting around the table represent scooters position.

We have had Russian voices who will explain Putin's position and we have challenged and very robust early so for at the series to have been those voices and every single day.

We are explaining what the Russian Media is saying what Putin is saying but I would stress that the main thing about this podcast are two very experienced presenters with a huge amount of experience Gabriel Gatehouse with his contacts in Russia and Ukraine Fergal Keane with his huge experience of the region and a conflict.

They are bringing to the table.

They're informed insights about conflict and about Russia and about Ukraine but on the second part of the listener was the cost of the card in it from London

If it did it from Ukraine I think that's a fair point.

I'll be honest we would like to see Victoria in Ukraine she has just completed her hostile environment course is a training course to go into conflict zones and we are hoping the Victoria will be on the ground we have had presenters and we do use Jeremy Bowen and and the BBC's very respected respondents.

We use them in in the podcast so it's not entirely true that This podcast has been entirely based in London but I would say the other strengths about this podcast is use your expertise at BBC monitoring which is in Newport Castle house, which is this extraordinary unit who follow the world's Media see what the media in Russia in the Ukraine play trying to establish, what's being said on social media and their second test BBC monitoring is also to look at the disinformation Battle to try and work out.

What is true and what's not from Twitter

The amazing response to refugees in the west but every heard what's happening to the refugees have fled what have been forcibly removed into Russia to wean is there safe that specific points about the refugees going to Russia is it possible to find out if they're so we're finding it hard to find out what happened to them.

We are absolutely to answer that question so we're using our contacts.

We using BBC monitoring BBC Languages were using the correspondence on the ground and it's proving very very difficult to find out what the truth is the strong points about we are clear and grown up with the audience that we don't necessarily have all the answers but we're trying to find them.

This is of course a podcast and this listing has a question about how we can hear crane.com Jeff Matthew do Castor bitlife social media end up preaching to the converted.

Is it almost more important to inform the list no doesn't take the trouble to sign up.

The joys of live radio is its ability to broaden the mind by transporting you to places he didn't sign up for and you didn't expect to be taken too so there was an offer to give you a ring on Radio 4 book Jonathan taking Jonathan would you take the honest answer is yes, we would take it up.

We'd love to see This podcast on Radio 4 This podcast is doing really well on BBC sounds and some podcast platforms around the world, but obviously we really believe in a journalism that we're doing the stories that were following so would like it to a wider audience as possible and how long will it cost of questions like asking you how long will the war in Ukraine last but is it your intention if the war continues, let's say for a year.

You will still be doing it a leap on a weekday podcast so that's quite a challenging questions you say because we don't know how long is conflict is going to last I would say for the moment the audience after tides is very.

It feels like this is definitely going to be a Daily podcast for a lengthy period of time however we are mindful that they make on a stage where audience interests may drop and quite weird with you it but we are absolutely committed to you Chromecast in the long-term so we want to follow through on this story.

It's important that we do follow through on this because when the conflict and there will be many many questions still be attempts to rebuild.

What is left and we will want to follow through on that particular Gene and finally Jonathan aspinwall this sounds are an important question but I just wondered about your own mental health in these circumstances.

I mean the rest of us some of us anyway almost rationing what we listen to Because of and you can't do that.

How do you deal with being exposed to such awful detail day off today after I've introduced a series of Rules for us.

In which include you don't look at WhatsApp the WhatsApp group when you're off shift compared to when I first started the BBC in there was no WhatsApp now WhatsApp absolutely dominates all and generous lives and it's really important and boundaries and to protect your teams well-being so I'm very clear but to do with younger produces.

These are the set of Rules around WhatsApp holidays rules to protect our own well-being are thanks to Jonathan aspinwall editor of Ukraine cost which is available now on BBC sounds.

Please do let us know your thoughts about that interview or anything else to do with BBC Radio and podcasts.

This is how you can get in touch you can send an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk or write a letter address is PO Box 6723 London se1p for as you can follow her activity on Twitter by user.

At BBC R4 feedback or you can call us and leave a phone message on 0333 444 5009 charges, but it could cost more on some mobile network all those details are on our website for asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zones and listen to a program that would normally be on there a day off this week.

We have Georgina Broadhead from the Isle of Wight and Ella Hunt who lives in Shetland to guess they can be from each other within the British Isles now.

I just get a sense of your listening habits before we start Georgina what would be your top 2 programmes if you were stranded on that mythical desert island.

I would have to have something is going to make me smile so I've gone for Sorry I Haven't a Clue then something to entertain so it be one of the drama output so something like stone.

And finally I'd have to go for the reunion which is caring a new series which is thoroughly enjoyable with Kirsty what please and Ella your top 3, please yeah a bit of a discussion you and yours and then the food programme might have been current affairs was certainly was 40 years ago a documentary on the world service about the Falklands another Ireland or set of arms.

Of course.

It's part of the documentary series on the world service and this one was titled counting them in and around at the time will know that the first to a famous broadcast by Brian hanrahan in which to get around government reporting restrictions.

It wasn't allowed to give numbers refer to all the British aeroplanes leaving the aircraft carrier and all of returning and no losses.

Would you describe this program gave an Economic and Social and political review of how the Falklands have?

Involved from 40 years ago from the Falklands War it was quite long but had a lot of interesting facts once you could wear yourself through the amount of information given and was this ancient history for you and then you obviously word alive at the time of the Falcon because I mean it wasn't really something we got taught about a school either.

So very much not overly familiar with so it was interesting but actually I didn't really care for the water element of it.

I found the kind of review on the economics social side much more fat and Georgina you were born when the Falklands occurred do you have vivid memories of it and did this program bring them back? I don't have especially vivid memories.

I found it very interesting and it was full of information that I was totally unaware of an example of something that you really well.

I was unaware of how few people actually living.

1/2 thousand and the fact that it was only in 2020 that they finally got rid of all the 25000 minds that had been on the sands of their very extensive beaches.

I was also fascinated to find how prosperous they were and what fast sums the fishing licences coming into their economy and they're supposed to be the 5th most wealthy economy in the world which again I was totally unaware of and the vast variety of nationalities that they have living there.

It was all really interesting stuff and the time went so quickly for me and I found it very interesting overall the presented by Coleridge was there last 30 years ago and he get over those changes I mean 3500 population now seems small it was half that at the time of the Falklands War did you listen to this bring on the economic development of The Fall

There was some parallels with the Shetlands where you now.

It's absolutely industry is such a the industry for Shetland 300 million pounds a year into the Shetland economy alone absolutely you can see the relationship between the importance of fishing the historical importance of sheep farming, but they still continuing and then especially for them looking forward to the energy industry and overseas vs.

Olive oil terminal and a lot of west of Shetland without oil and gas Fields so absolutely their correlation was quite large there and especially into tourism as well you talking about cruise ships coming in and that something was seeing increasing in Shetland and Stanley's a small Port town with most clapboard houses many with brightly coloured rules writing up the hill from the edge of the harbour.

I'm standing on a jetty by the church and I can look Westwoods towards longden, Canton Tumbledown Hills with names synonymous with the 90s.

To war, would you like to ride a Focus so do you think it was an absolute right to concentrate on this largely for a lot of people? I think unknown story about the fault.

I did think at the start.

They did try to seem a little bit with the war going back to Falkland she don't think they needed to I think this program would be much better if it was very much to stink looking at another 40 years on and rather than trying to reflect don't you feel that they had to put in context and so that that element of it initially had to be brought in to reflect what they were doing now.

I think so that within a sentence for 5-minutes and information backgrounds to give us and understand what we got from the program because it was a 45-minute program and so that relative 5-minutes to sort of set the scene if you like, I would.

Especially somebody intended as yourself would would have benefited from the initial settings seeing if you like but each their own well.

It was a relatively conventional documentary so therefore depend very much on the presenter Mike wooldridge.

Close is a very experienced BBC presenter reporter think you did a good job.

I thought this was quite traditional and the actually I probably didn't need to hear him through the interesting information was the people were talking to us.

We are living on the Falklands so yes, I don't want to sound like the presenting side.

I generally don't we could have done without almost knowing who the presenter was Georgina would you give a thumbs up or a thumbs down to Michael I give my thumbs up perhaps they were.

Snip it might have been slightly over long but overall I felt he didn't dominate the program.

He step back and let the islanders say what they say put on raise any of his own opinions on any of the topics that were raised and so if you'll know I thought he was well and I'm delighted.

We have such unanimity between you two items say with Confidence I guess that need to be where your comfort zone and of course you listen to every other program in the series.

Would that be a fair reflection of your views ever I was out of my I would probably depending on the topic and the presenter.

I would maybe go back to this.

I went to pick this one up because I don't understand the reference to Counting them in something like particularly enjoyed and I wouldn't go back.

How would you go back to the documentary podcast as this series is called yes, I subscribed I liked it.

Generational discussion and differences obviously remain thank you very much indeed Georgina and Ella thanks.

You're very welcome.

Thank you.

I am on a mission to reclaim public understanding of dying suicide Kathryn mannix, who is spent a lifetime working in palliative care she delivered 1 of this year's talks on Radio 4 there.

Seems is the power of hospitality based on Jesus's encouragement in Matthew's gospel for us to feed The Hungry welcome the stranger and look after the is a clip from Catherine's programme.

I've had caring for the sick and dying thickness changes this it makes it vulnerable it changes our assumptions about ourselves independent adults who can make plans and season through it may prevent us from being independent.

We may need help.

These are really welcome changes.

I'd like to congratulate cats from annexe for Hillington talk on the process of dying.

It's an issue that we all face but few of us scared to talk about in a clear.

Sympathetic Catherine explain not only the process for the typical needs of The Dying person and I found her talk informative and practical Leamington Spa Dr Kathryn mannix is extraordinary reflection on the process of dying was a completely unexpected listen not just heard measured in perfect delivery, but the step-by-step description accompanied by a clear narrative overview of what each step of The Dying process entails was incredible by the producer of land text Anthony joynes me now don't pick up.

That's talk by Kathryn mannix.

It was a very sensitive subject describing how people die and how what is the best way for people to die? Did you have any doubts about doing such as well first of all I'm delighted to hear that so many listeners were helped by the talk itself of course we recognise.

Is it could be a difficult listen for some people depending on their own personal experiences and of course it's an experience we all go through at some point with our relatives or in our own lives thought this was exactly why we should talk about it and why we should tackle it because death is often not discussed openly and people don't know what to say when they are faced with it when their loved ones and they're friends are faced with it.

So of course.

He wanted to handle it sensitively which is exactly why we wanted Kathryn mannix.

Who has a wealth of experience palliative care doctor and as well as that she has such an empathic approach.

She said I am on a mission to reclaim public understanding of dying.

Do you think we all have hits we don't discuss it which means that when we have to deal with it? We're unprepared and we don't serve The Dying by not preparing ourselves for their dad.

That's right.

I mean.

He was clearly able to provide some reassurance and perhaps articulate for people what they perhaps won't able to articulate for themselves, but I think what she was able to do Catherine she was really able to grapple with the passion story and relate that and so when she's talking about Jesus in the Garden of gethsemane.

It was at isolation.

It was that fear and it was Jesus going to do that for you in isolation.

It was his friends falling asleep because they didn't know what to do and I think she beautifully was able to to bring that kind of timeless hue seam in the fashion story with what so many people go through when people are facing a terminal diagnosis and you could have seen that most people listening with Christians not now when you can't make that assumption.

So who are these lent talks for are they primarily for Christians no absolutely not and

The religious programmes that we make are not exclusively for religious people there for everybody and I mean I would say that lent talks.

Has you know you start with a passion story start with the framing of it in that way.

It's the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus but in that story itself or rich seems seems of love sacrifice betrayal forgiveness death.

It's all there in that story and it's a deep well to draw from and these are powerful human universal Concepts and experiences, but each year we try to think a fresh ways of making a resin and when you're choosing a present of this is not lunches who presented share discussion this is somebody has the whole the audience for almost 14 minutes.

They've got to be listening able to have you got that you can hold you say to someone can use rather important or whatever would you like to do and talks, but first we've got to do a sound test with you.

Would you mind not can I see what you say? I think it's about finding those authentic.

Spell invoices that you know we'll work I mean it's a question of finding speakers.

We try and find a balance of experience and expertise.

You know across the series from Caroline Jones the title would attorney from listening and I would have missed a treat their thoughtful well presented and just the right length.

Is there any chance of repeating them with a different title later in the year to a wider audience? She's put up by the title.

I mean if you put it as something else upfront and then under in small print underneath that talks maybe more people would have listened to you.

I'm very glad that Carolyn enjoy the program Even If by accident well.

We're always open to suggestions for a new title if lent talks doesn't quite do the job and you know I'm very happy to explore that I don't see no you're also we were also the producer of the Archbishop interviews which is the first time I've ever known Archbishop of Canterbury conduct interviews and the things you treat me about.

Was you expecting an artificial to give answers not ask questions, did you find that rather difficult when he was sitting down with him to explain to him actually on this occasion.

We want you to ask questions as much as contribute to a conversation.

I think he understood and he talk to it.

Very naturally.

I think my starting point was I wanted them to be encounters.

I wanted them to be sharing handed encounters in which by the Archbishop sharing something and revealing quite a lot of himself that he was able to draw so much more out of them and I think yes, I think he took questioning approach very naturally but I didn't want him.

I mean some people might think that that perhaps you spoke more than normal interview awards and of course that was the intention because what we got was I think beautiful profound deeply human conversations and it commentated in the Pinnacle of my career probably I don't think I can stop getting the Archbishop of Canterbury speaking to Stephen King

Be honest that was I think I've got a very well received by listeners including people who wrote to us so obvious question will there be a second series is the Archbishop I would absolutely love their to be a second series and obviously that will be subject to further discussion, put it this way.

I think there's enormous amount of potential in this and there are so many fascinating people that I would love to put in from bishop of Canterbury persuading the controller Dante any thank you very much.

Thank you Roger thanks to dantini the producer of lent talks on the Archbishop interviews which are all available on BBC sounds and that's it for this week next week.

I'll be talking to Kathy Clugston the church of Gardeners Question Time which amazingly has 75th anniversary to let us have your comments and questions for her until then goodbye.