Read this: Huw Edwards pleads guilty

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We've got the journalist behind the Scoop broadcaster piece of white joins us to look back at 50 years.

Getting in touch the BBC programme for blind and visually impaired people and Channel 4 news is Krishnan guru-murthy is with us to talk about his career and Strictly Come Dancing with allegations about the program, but we're gonna start with another reputational crisis facing the BBC the news from this morning that Hugh Edwards once the BBC's most senior news presenter pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court to making indecent images of children 41 images that have been shared with him by another man on WhatsApp my colleague David Sillitoe it has been following the story David you're here.

Let's just go back to July last year when it begins it was the sun which first reported on Hugh Edwards when they had a story of an unknown BBC presenter who been paying a young person for explicit images beginning with when they were 17 years old, but the charges that you had his pleaded guilty to two today seem unrelated to any material the Sun mobile coverage understand.

Yes, what the line of course.

That goes from July to the 1st of November to huw Edwards leaving the BBC in April and then the charges being brought in June is unclear at the moment.

How was it that these images were found on a WhatsApp chat on here Edwards phone the question of course goes back to that original story, what is the linkage the key sentence? I think that created the fuel right now from people who only vaguely remember.

It's all went well of it.

It was about an allegation against an unknown presenter from the sun the sun went made me him.

We understand because of defamation law and avoiding being sued they simply said there was a high-profile BBC presenter giving a young person more than £35,000 since they were 17 in return for sordid images now.

It's that sentence that created the floor it because he in.

Was that this was happening below the age of 18 and many people said well, this is clearly an allegation of illegality the Sun said no it was couch them rather more careful terms.

They were simply raising the concerns of the parents who felt that this young person is paying this money and they wanted to BBC to intervene in one Way Or Another they got quite a lot of criticism for the fact that people said people suggest that they had employed criminality and they put out statements you say saying they haven't because it was engaged in criminal behaviour and criminal behaviour does that mean the sauna has good reason to feel vindicated today? This is a you know an advert to be like for travel journalism many people who went downstairs resignation April of this year said the police said there was no evidence of illegality this was a private matter.

It may have crossed some people's ideas of.

Proper behavioural personality but he had a right to privacy and a postal life and his life had been utterly destroyed.

It's reputation tarnished forever because of this this changes absolutely everything does it say that the sun was absolutely right and everything it's published the time will the questions going to be honest? I think the next few weeks as well as what that line is between those what connection is between us all but certainly something began with that headline in The Sun today.

That is laid with today's charges and the guilty police and all the way through us both and many others and our team covering this story.

There's been quite an unusual feature which has been the total absence of Hugh Edwards from our reporting.

He never ending on the record.

He never replied to messages that you're not for me.

He did manage to go on a degree of sympathy from some quarters when his wife issues that statement at confirming.

It was him back in that last summer and referring to his.

Mental health issues men all the journalist covering the story seem to back off.

I suppose there was this balance of public interest against the right to privacy through interesting the law of privacy has changed dramatically over the years issues about your personal life drink drugs if you're seeking help for drink and drugs and also whether you've been questioned by the police all these now have case law that say that is private and the issue.

What used to be in tabloid newspapers as their bread and butter stories of 25 years now really the boys say no you can't do that and once there was no question of illegality with regards to huw Edwards and what he been doing it was pretty much.

No the boys were you can't touch this.

I'm going to have further and also was the only statement from his wife about his mental health and mental health episode and that he was suffering.

I think there's a degree of sympathy as well for him.

Many people of what actually happened there suddenly will everything changed when the announcement of these charges came this week and I wonder what you think about questions for the BBC could see the sun's original story was about how the BBC had reacted to a complaint about Edwards that the parents of the young person of alltech allegedly made.

How had made is the BBC Under Pressure do you think now? What are the questions for the BBC should it be glowing baggies some of these salary for a song that was played when he was off at large part of my career has been reporting on BBC investigations into the BBC there is already been one looking at how the signs that was brought by this young person's parents was dealt with was it escalated fast enough was it I skated to the right people they concluded that perhaps it should have gone further faster in the process there without was a mess you about complaints handling by the BBC this is all sorts of other questions for instance if the BBC did know about the arrest in November should have done some.

Questions raised about the fact that Hugh Edwards was there in the top paid less than some of the handle report came out and that he had a big £40,000 pay increase there is processed there you have if you are at the station.

You're suspended suspended on full pay and that is the law the question of course also back and rest is that has probably have to remain private as well interesting questions there I think that's also why the question of the BBC reporting on the BBC because actually both you and I spend a lot of time last time.

I'm reporting on a great deal of scrutiny impression not surprisingly quite rightly but it was a time and they're still is we're still recording on it today.

I was outside the BBC doing a live on the 1 news talking about it so a journalist from the BBC reporting on the BBC and sometimes people can't quite get to get to understand that there's a where the where the line is yes in question.

The BBC and BBC News are strangely different organisations, they sort of setting the same building but essentially I treat the BBC as the organisation and we go after it with Gusto in fact.

We probably report on it more than almost any other organization.

There is a great deal of sort of pressure as well of your own reputation to be seen to be challenging your own organisation during employers as if they were completely separates to do by the taxpayer entirely so I think you cannot overestimate that this raises interesting questions because normally is the BBC corporate it's the managers people.

I don't actually bump into very often V this is about BBC News and you cannot get away from the history of that you know I sat down at the desk and I have been chatting.

Huw Edwards here, I have been on the news program.

This is a person.

I knew not particularly well and your reporting on them and also the editorial chain of command are also is employers.

There are interesting questions there certain people essentially who are responsible for a duty of care to him the fact that you had to be treated fairly in the allegations made their they have to step aside is a separate trainer card.

It's complicated.

It.

Is that you need to go on carry on reporting on this story is I'll let you go but David Sillitoe thank you so much.

Also here as I said in the studio is the presenter of Channel 4 News the face of the channels election program and a contestant on last year's Strictly Come Dancing we going to talk all about that in a moment, but I wonder not ask you about you.

What's your reaction to him pleasing guilty I mean jaw-dropping the gobsmacking rear shocks and have been since.

It was revealed that you've been charged ion.

Country mentions that we don't have poo a situation like this and it's very very sad I said alright 30.

This is a man who can't overestimate the significance of you read this if you like because he was the BBC's perspective who just held our hands through so many things will weddings elections the Queen's death that role did put him in a special relationship with us.

Yes, it was the man the BBC shows and grooms to be there number 1 news presenter the man who would hold the end of the nation through these major state occasions supposedly in BT terms the most trusted man in the country and so yes, maybe that's what makes it all the more shocking and if it wasn't for the sun going after him.

This is classic tabloid reporting.

It was a different story a different case but suppose you'll never been held account in court if it wasn't for the song we don't know that we don't know whether this this might well.

They come out another way.

Criminal case is nothing to do with what was going on in his private life and in I mean in general.

I'm I'm not that bothered about reading about the Private Lives of people but obviously when the serious criminality or corruption or abuse of power Everything Changes and I think you know until the sun will claim that this is because of them the truth is we don't know because we don't know why the police were looking for this.

How they got access to this phone.

Was it as a result of the original some story or was it because of some of the reason? What do you think it done for the reputation of the BBC How damaging? Is it will it all depends? I think what the BBC new and when if the BBC new she would be arrested early one and didn't tell anybody I think it needs to explain why I'm in a bit then.

We'll be an explanation in terms of the allergies you care to.

And he was not well and and obviously managers had to take that under consideration with the BBC and BBC News also has a duty to it's viewers to tell them the truth and to reveal videos when they know it and I think that's going to be a really interesting question for what they knew anything you what he's been investigated for that very serious and you know where the pay negotiations going on during all of this time.

You know I mean I think it opens up quite a lot of questions with the BBC's going to have to answer and I think the BBC's on the five most people all the time particularly on the internet and conspiracy theories and yes, it's very very sad that this sort of feeds into that will make lots of them go well.

There you go there's another one and and obviously that's this is really you know very sad story about one man.

It doesn't really cross 2BB

Unusual anything else, but it will be used.

I'm sure and weaponized particularly on the internet to undermine the BBC and that person and you agreed to come before he Redwood news emerge early recognise you drinking you exactly this time last year.

You were unveiled as a Strictly Come Dancing contestant remember you're in a traitor style Hood in a rainy day before the big reveal of the shows face claims of inappropriate behaviour by some of the professional dancers last week.

You got the interview that we were all chasing the actor Amanda Abbington who told you more about her allegations against her dance partner Giovanni panichi claims.

He denies the investigation is ongoing that's why I'm saying but just in terms of that interview how how did you get it?

Sending a message saying how about it? We knew each other from Strictly I haven't done a man's before then.

I haven't seen her since week 5 of been in touch.

I've sent a text messages we spoken but but we weren't we haven't seen each other and to be honest.

I didn't arrange this as an interview about strictly this is intended to be a bomb shelter interview.

I just started doing interviews about a new places doing and she's interviewing a lump it was to do with strictly obviously and so I thought well, she's she's talking so I just sent a message and so would you like to do something on the telly and she said yes and we never actually what the interview were going to be about or whether we are talking about strictly we can actually speak to each other until we saw each other that day, so I just went into it thinking well.

Let's see what happens and what she wants to talk.

And it became very clear very quickly within the first answer but she wanted to talk about strictly and of course I had for quite a lot about what I wanted to know from that and it's quite where isn't it to be in a position where your journalist covering a story that you're so how did you think about you? Whether you could do it objectively or is it so much that she was more helpful.

Yes, obviously it wasn't normal wasn't objective German part of this and I was there and there was lots of stuff that I knew that I but I was going to reveal to they won't my secrets to reveal and sometimes.

I was asking her questions, but I know what the answer, but what I was intrigued to hear was what she wanted to say and what you wanted to put in so I wasn't worry about that wasn't normal but I was doing doing my job as much as possible in giving her space and asking the questions and clarify things I think.

Confusion and misinformation around what's been going on so I I wanted to just try and get to the death of the bottom of things that she made reference to group chats with you.

Just press.

They were me about her experience that was when she was announced as having Giovanni's her dance partner.

I love you.

Talk to hurt.

You know you said you said in the interview something on the lines of you know something is going on what what did you did? Did you get the time? We have a group chat on WhatsApp on Thursday when we all met and it was very lively we shared although all our experiences throughout strictly and afterwards and it was full of you know you know this is difficult and a nightmare.

Lol s b and we would share our trials and tribulations and Amanda did as well and so yes there were no messages that she posted that made it very clear.

She was struggling and having a very hard time.

We will having a hard time because it's tough but it was.

In terms of what she was saying and and yes, I did I did I did speak to people at the time about that.

I was worried about Andrew at least speak to her and they reassured me that they were on it and that they were dealing with it and they were in Close contact with her and after that you just have to kind of get on with your own experiences for four days of the week.

You are buried in the Strictly experience with your dance partner and just getting on concentrate on that you have time to think about anything else so I raised it.

I talked to him about it.

They said yes and you all the way through and afterwards.

I've always make let you had the most wonderful as a friend I watched you becoming more and more when you're always smiley when we're friends, but but you know your screen persona went from being a sort of guy to a really smiley.

Happy joyful.

Man it was an extraordinary and wonderful and I loved every minute of it.

Believe me, I'm people now keep saying well.

You know I mean what was your real experience you know? What did you really think because you know we seen what other people who said at the time and then I saying now so maybe you won't come and that's what I have said.

No everything I said was absolutely true.

I had a marvellous experience.

I was scared for you know and looked after and why do you think it was so different and it is it people have speculated it's because you're a man and they said they had problems most of all it's because I had this fantastic dance partner and just everything brilliantly who was a great teacher with a caring and considerate her aim was not you know to be hyper competitive and to win anything she just said look I want to teach to love Dad and she did very quickly so I think that was the first thing I obviously been around a bit so I know about tv.

And I know about B Productions and I know people at every level.

You see so I wasn't concerned that I wouldn't be able to talk to me anything that I was concerned about if I had any thoughts about strictly.

I knew that I can go and talk to people and I did and so that was partner and I guess I'm sure part of it is because I was a man and that was after that far as I'm aware and everything you.

I told you this before that there is an inbuilt sexism dance culture, you know it is largely revolved around the boy the boy gets to choose the girl and you know get some kind of call The Shots even though the girls are often doing much more can a 12A making everything look great? You know when you're dancing and if I lifted most of the work and the way that she carried herself, but it's deceptive because you know the holes of Macho nature of dance.

Is that you know it's all you know that the man is in control.

Does an element about the kind of endeavour to be filled into the culture of strictly because strictly is a strange hybrid of you know BBC1 Saturday night entertainment show and dance dance show extravaganza West End show you know showbiz and it's about getting that balance right.

I think I do want to get active about the relationship between the program and the media because you usually when strictly is on we getting these everywhere.

We need positive stories.

Obviously there's the stories around the Curse of strictly when people stop you having a all leaving or whatever what were you told when you were on the show you put up for interviews, what was your understanding? How that relationship with the ordinary power open tableau press when it comes to strictly it is it's one great property the tabloids need strictly because it drives clips it dries readership and so they become.

Compliance when it comes to strictly and we would do loads of press we would do round tables with you like speed dating and for example that the week where we would do it around you chat with the Press And you going as a couple of you.

Have a few minutes with you know which other publication and we what do we what do we say if they ask and they said it won't come up and it didn't tell you I mean someone said don't ask about that and I didn't know maybe the maybe just didn't I made a reading more into this and that is real but I mean I suspect you know there is an unwritten understanding that they know if you cross the rules with you you get excluded from future access denied interviews I did a lot of interviews in a one-on-one interviews and one of them.

Copy approval and headline approval for people who don't understand what that means is they didn't print anything that you weren't happy with which is I mean x absolutely extraordinary, but I'm in it shows you the power the BBC has when it comes to strictly and the press and coming back there about to announce the contestants as they did you learn? How do you think they approached this Ferrari do they do Tess and Claudia on the first programme did they say anything about it? I mean no I would there really wasn't I I think they got to put on a great show that is absolutely bombproof devoid of any controversy everybody got to have an amazing time and it's got to be safe houses and a great show and that's the only way I can get through this and has been in it change your relationship with audience audience of transfer news.

I mean because I revealed so much of my

We need is a very formal environment as you know you know you don't get the whole point of users you're not supposed to reveal what you think about anything when I strictly is the opposite and when you go into it you say I'm just going to reveal I'm just going to myself if I cry if I know if I struggle you know I'm going to just let people know about it and so if people watch strictly.

They can't really got to know me and my family now because of my kids and that changes your relationship with your audience they feel that they know me a lot better and I get that sense of that pretty much every day and people stop and talk to me about the news and strictly an evening to be reading at MPs in the house of change my relationship with Tory MPs who would normally be very wary of seeing the amount of problems, but now had some small talk to make with me about strictly so yes, I think it's some it's been a really good thing for me personally because it has made me more of a human being a more more.

Extraordinary weird show that you doing what you do extraordinary with things strangely the result of it has been that I seemed more like everybody else and I can vouch for the instruction and aside from Strictly are you covered the election Porter from Israel Iraq Taiwan South Korea and you've been through a lot of places you did so many highlights and one I would just talk about particularly in light of the news around the Hammers killing in Toronto overnight.

It's just your reporting from Iran because he went there for the country the elections.

How did you go out getting access to that country and access to senior politicians it was that was a very weird because I came off the Strictly tour and performing for 15000 people at the O2 and then go on a plane to Tehran and well.

I mean the rain is very careful about letting people in their generally say no but they

Is injuring election time because they want to show the world that they are a democracy and this is there opportunity to show off their system and it's obviously quite a bit now because they are unpopular and lots of people don't want to take part in their elections and it's difficult but nonetheless the letters in for a few days and we covered the elections.

We presented the news live from Tehran and I also went to the hammers compounds in Tarrant interview their Representatives in in that city and long interview with him for yes, it's been quite in a week chilling to think the extent to which those compounds are being the time is a muscle all these places are because the spies in the sky you know what are very good and they can see everything so but yes I mean it almost makes you.

That kind of thing doesn't happen more often and I suppose it also begs questions about giving her accurate they can be why are they so inaccurate as well and I've got to go because you got to go and present Channel 4 News but one thing I do want to ask you before you go is what's your Wii will literally debasing this before I got in the Taxes come here.

You know and somebody was joking.

It's a classic interview question for a journalism job.

You know where you say there's been The Assassination in Tehran huw Edwards has pleading guilty to serious charges and there was a riot in Southport last night.

What do you need on so don't know I mean, what do you mean? Well? I mean is one of those things where the story is clearly the talking point story of the day.

Talking about in the pub in over cup of tea the most significant story perhaps on the day is the mass execution because that has very serious long-term consequences that could lead to an escalation of the war in the Middle East and so that is my sort of Channel 4 News he kind of lead and the one that I was arguing for Southport stories seriously images of very very shocking and again that goes in there lots of things to that story in Contemporary politics and Society that needs to be explored right now in the news when I will go back and see what the boss has decided cos obviously the boss will decide in the end of the conversation that go on and use up and down the country every day and you're having it right now.

Thank you so much to look at an extraordinary story from.

Ring Media drama, that is the Murdoch family because last week the New York Times broke the story but Rupert Murdoch is attempting to change his family's legal Trust to make sure that even after his death his Media outlets will continue to follow an editorial stance that he would approve of some of his children disagree and fighting the case gym rittenberg writer at large and what times and long-term murder whatcha got the sleep and he is with us now gym absolutely delighted to have you on the programme not least because when your story broke.

I was making a lot of calls trying to find out exactly what the story was and now we've got you.

You've got your eyes on a document from a probate Court in Nevada tell us what it contains.

Well.

I nearly in this document indicated that sometime many months at least a Rupert Murdoch has been locked in a court battle with three of us for.

Children over the future and B empire and it does it change to his trust the family trust and who will control the Empire After Rupert staff and it's just like everything as a scriptwriter with dream of absolutely and I have to say when I heard about it.

I thought my goodness this has been going on I think for several months many months starting from my end as a media editor of BBC News I had not had one with of this was it totally new information for you or was it did it confirm rumours? You'd already heard I tell you what I did confirm with my suspicion all along for some time.

That was named as his main air he has made the oldest son now as I was child a little bit marcus's out of shower, but his eldest son walk on his toes and successor as she not pregnant is the oldest oh, sorry.

Prudence by his first wife is order has always been less are the business at least left probably showing interest in the business that Elizabeth very much has been in the success but anyway so they're always been a lot of talk around the three children who were chosen that when river died.

They could conspire together when taking spironolactone do this under the terms of the trust and both your brother out if they so chose and one of them and presumably James is the most bullish to do this would take over the company and perhaps redirected political orientation and Rupert himself that this up many years ago after his divorce from his second wife and he said on Tralee Road famous in 2006.

It will be if I go on the bus tomorrow between them but I always suspected as this talk is going round the Ripper could not stand to see his Legacy taken over by a Sunday

Actually estranged stay with us at gym.

I just want to bring in Clare Atkinson is a journalist and host of the medium x podcast and play your currently writing a biography of Rupert Murdoch's on this show and just give us a bit more of that legal context of this because my understanding is that this was a trust that was set up after the divorce between and see them was the mother of James Laughlin and Elizabeth and Rupert Murdoch and that she went for this over taking half his money half his company has been writing about Rupert for 30 years and he is one of the most fascinating people of the last century Anna as you said wanted to make sure that the kids got equal play the company that each of them would have a boat.

She famously wanted to make sure that Wendy Dang it was then Rupert's wives that the children he has with her did not get a vote.

You know a financial piece of the trust other they didn't get a vote and so the for eldest children did Anna always felt like the session and family business which is one of the names of a book she would destroy the relationship between the Mol and I guess what was seeing is it certainly has hardened his relationship with his James Willow from Jim story and the kids of the lachlan didn't go to his latest wedding to Elena's the cover and so you know, what will the year is the Rupert from the very beginning of his career was about control and this is Rupert attempting to maintain control maintain stability at so speak even after he passed away and also I don't mean to I was just going to say Jim I'm sure you won't tell me where you got that.

Documents secret documents that you managed to get your hands on we're going to hear are we from legal argument in September about about it, but he's just trying to make his claiming operation as opposed to a big significant shift.

Is that right the first of all to the first question I hope we'll get to hear this cake this trial.

I don't think we will be taking place in secret so presumably there will be a tramp September if you could watch it would be one of the most fascinating trials of tomorrow clickers for sure going to watch succession instead on repeat.

Yes, I know he's a mending.

It's something that within his rights and it's all good.

It's very interesting his argument is that all he's doing is maintaining the value in the trust which is I choose Media proper.

Which have a student editorial bent and should the other three that editorial and after his that they would devalue they were packed about you up the airport is basically are going he's protecting them from their own worse instance by disenfranchising them from the boat declare laid out was clearly an Italian version of the trust lachlan.

This is essentially about political stances and political views, how does lachlan Murdoch compared to Rupert Murdoch in his outlet? Are they very aligned? That's the reason that James are despite running the company for quite some time and running operations in Asia and running the newspapers and BSkyB in the UK he was not switch on the day to take over in large part because of his politics and I think the Rupert felt like one of them was much more aligned with very conservative views.

Used Fox News espouses on TV everyday and that I have James running Fox News would really kind of neutralise the cash cow the company and that that would not be good business and at the end of the day.

That's what it's about because Jim what we've been suggested there and what perhaps we know about his son James he's already broken publicly with his father.

What Mike that fact if indeed it is factions and it's James on one side perhaps Elizabeth Anne and Prudence and then logging on the other w w w w w Colleen about what that side of things might want to do with the business if anything James has been most public about his views.

He's actually criticised the company with long as his wife Catherine here.

There are probably about to stay at a climate change is kind of more electrically implied that he got that fox had a role in the chaos.

We saw elections in 20-22.

My colleague Jonathan malen, I've reported in the past or James when he was in the company and wanted to ground Fox News a little bit more in a journalistic to that setting can make it more down to the rules of journalism, then it is and some of its opinion program.

He never as we understand the proposed turning into the BBC or CNN it was always here always thought this is just something a little more grounded and if you have that in a box if you could see in Rupa to you by your lose some trump people because they want to see you fully behind the President Trump in James clearly wasn't going to take the networking at Direction James is it was short term riding games for getting behind trump long term problems in terms of lawsuits as we saw with the yes absolutely because it cause they had to settle out of court with the Dominion voting systems over claims made on Fox at the system was rigged to steal votes from Donald Trump in 2020 having fox paid out 800 million.

In the UK been the phone hacking scandal compensation cases, but I won the bottom line is a great business money always thinks about business.

Would a more liberal stance cost Fox and cut his business money.

Do you think I'm sorry Jim I didn't go ahead.

Please.

Just had its highest rated month in its history because of the presidential attempted assassination because of Joe Biden stepping down and camera setting they they are 3 times as many viewers in the US watch Fox News that mum then watch CNN and so I think to argue that are changing it which I think is what the the siblings would like to do wouldn't affect its financial power.

I think is Charlie sat best I think.

You know there there's viewers in in the US that like what Fox News is offering to put some context around the two companies that lachlan runs is essentially CEO of fox in the States which houses Fox News and is also chairman of News Corporation which ones the newspaper business essentially there around there by 16 billion each and just put that into context you know visa companies that are under Siege from social media giants from YouTube we have no Google quarterly earnings.

Just last week and 85 billion dollars in a quarter and so they have power for sure they do influence how people think but you know we're talking today about Elon Musk and the influence of x and Miss information you like to talk about that just for a second you know we do talk a lot on this Pro

About the decline of newspapers linear broadcasters in the unstoppable rise of social media and other big text so I suppose the question is does the what the murderer's do it doesn't even matter anymore in this area of Elon Musk trump supporters running.

X how would you distinguish both of you may be starting with u gym on the influence that must cold over comparator as compared with Rupert Murdoch's how to say that everything Claire said but I want to say one thing now that in that changing world if you have a huge huge cross-section of people you still buy having at least a cache and some of that Aldridge I would argue.

Do you still have more influence a does x breakthrough in the everyday conversation in the US the box used as I say it is not it.

It's taking up some of the activist energy.

Used to have only to itself but it still has a lot of cache and maybe they are managing that down but for right now this medium and nobody still has what supermarket has a cross through the concentration of newspapers even if they're losing some employment who comes close to countries whereas the power of x and tiktok which song regarded as a Chinese espionage operation and meta that these have influenced the influence of Rupert I think is well understood he you know is a conservative vote Republican except when he's back in the UK I think you know these sources of social media have power that we can't yet understand.

We don't understand their algorithms.

We can only see what's being pushed it.

W being pushed the other people you know gyms right.

It is extremely powerful Fox News I can Influence People in and how they think in the US but I think you know there in regulated businesses in a way that you are mosque.

Isn't you know we have him sharing the AI altered video of Pamela there's no regulation that right now Gavin Newsom governor of California is saying gosh you need to ask here.

There's election around the corner.

We don't want manipulated videos all over I mean I spend about two-and-a-half hours on social media per day.

That is way too much time to be looking at a video most people do social this is a moment raised the issue of falsehoods and disinformation circulating on social media is really wet readily illustrated by to news.

The last week here in the UK the tragic events in Southport the Krishnan guru-murthy was talking about earlier on have been reported by far-right influences and you have seen the riots last night last week video went viral that police firearms officer at Manchester Airport kicking around in the head, but it didn't show the full story at the weekend the video was published by the Manchester Evening News which showed events immediately preceding and added a whole new context of I'm delighted to say the editor at the Manchester Evening News is here with us are Leicester hello and welcome to the media show Sarah just when you reported on the First videos of events at the airport.

Will you conscious at that point that it might not tell the full story yeah, we very quickly to Tom two sources new that in existence the context.

We had a really detailed account of that second video.

What was in it and we went after it quite aggressively because we absolutely new it needs to be published the initial footage look like.

George Floyd moment really where a guy on the ground and Asian man is kicked in Head by Noel the police officer there was no contacts to that and that's going to be led to significant concern on protests across City on it and in Rochdale which is already quite a divided town of Manchester Andy Burnham talking about how it there was more context around it was and the bit that was particularly concerning was we have agitated from outside the area getting involved and quite a lot of the and when we got hold of the second video it just shows that it was a very fast moving very violent incident that ended with that kick that doesn't excuse but you just put it into contacts it filled in a missing piece is too important to ignore in our opinion these sorts of questions.

No fairly frequently the idea.

Show media fuels a special that the establishment that's the police all the mainstream Media is not giving the full picture for Political reasons because it does seem pretty routine now that one a big news event happens immediately the parallel narrative on social media.

Yeah, that's right and we saw it in Southport my colleagues at Liverpool Echo have been dealing with quite a lot of information that I think looks like it lead to last night's riot.

It's a real problem and what we do and would you take me to send you write everyday is pause this together the fax provide a clear thinking account of things based on accurate information that we verify and sometimes people not aware the reasons not aware that will also subject to legal restraints constraints and regulatory ones and so we have to explain that I think more so today most.

Explain why we can't blame the 17-year old who is being named on social media as she can one person was named initially so I think we have to what it does for me how important what we do is because we part of these communities in which we live here.

We have relationships it just shows own for what we do take you when we get people outside agitating and causing incidents like having it up all last night and just left if you wouldn't mind on yeah that decision to publish that video that shows the events immediately prior to what happened in Manchester before police firearms officer King the man in the head what conversations were you having what took us through your decisions to publish it so visible the Instinct from the content editor that was talking to and myself is that this has to be published because they still feels a big missing piece.

Legal concerns is an active cases arrests we don't want to do anything to affect an outcome also copyright because we tell you to a different route not an official route and also we also considering this is something to talk about a lot in The Newsroom what's the right thing to do you know everyone to inflame tensions you want to present the Aqua account want to consider the impact on the community and so those sort of conversation that happened and when we satisfy all those bits which happens quite quickly he's working usual we also talked to the lawyers and we are very good legal support and that enabled us to publish this I think a lot of times.

It's about the discussions that you have and I break a different people in The Newsroom into those discussions to get lots of perspective, so we don't come and get from one angle.

That's a really important part of well absolutely Sarah

Manchester Evening News thank you so much for coming on the media Show and also thanks to Duran Duran from the New York Times we've made up biographer Clare Atkinson as well.

Thank you all for your contributions.

It's important to say right now that if you return to our discussions about huw Edwards while we're on well.

We've been on it the BBC has released a statement it says the BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today there can be no place for such a problem behaviour and I thought I'll with all those affected in November 2023 the BBC says whilst Mr Edwards was suspended the BBC as employer at the time was made aware income for the have been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail.

What are the police continue the investigation at the time no charges have been fought against Mr Edwards and the BBC has also been made aware of significant risk to his health today.

We have learnt at the conclusion of a police process in the details as presented to the cold if an any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged.

The BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him in the end at the point of charge.

He was no longer an employee of the BBC so that answer some of the questions.

We were talking about earlier.

Just in terms of what the new when and probably will throw up criticisms and support for the BBC in its position, but we are now going to turn to our final guest a voicemail.

You will be familiar with Peter White has presented Radio 4 in touch program for an incredible 50 years as a Mark the anniversary.

He's got a new documentary out this week is called 50 vision you can listen to it now on BBC sounds and it's all about how technology has changed the lives of blind and partially sighted people Peter welcome to the media.

Show it is a delight to have it on.

I don't know whether you've been on it and you're 50 years.

I think you probably are that you're 50 years and in touch out dates for predates the media show.

Even more lively now.

You're here.

Just tell me why you wanted to make the documentary 50-years seemed a bit special.

I mean I thought probably been doing it longer than Roy plomley Desert Island Discs from Patrick Moore did the sky at night.

I didn't want the thing to go and notice is not not that I've been doing it for 50 years at the program.

I mean actually started in 1961 and it's seen enormous changes you mentioned possibly the main one I think to be fair analogy is affects some of us more than it affect others I mean if you're an older person and you're losing your sight probably a lot of other things you feel you have to worry about before you start thinking about the technology that can make life easier, but there are so many aspects to the two people which have changed they have been the

Changes to law does it anti-discrimination legislation there is legislation about what company is ought to do to make it easier for them to employ more blind people because only one in for blind people in working-age has a job and they just about every aspect of life you can affect blind and partially sighted people because I want to play a clip about how the technology you use in your job is evolved.

Let's just have a listen to this from your program.

That's the sound.

I would have made 50 years ago when I wrote my first presenter script for in touch Radio 4 programme made by and about blind and partially sighted people as some of you will know the program is still going all surprisingly so am I and the machine but this is how I writing the Script sounds now.

It's almost silent digital successor there you go, I don't want to spoil.

I don't want you to spell too much of the ending the programs because we can listen on BBC sounds, but what do you think about? How technology has changed your life and your working life? I think the most important thing it did was it meant that before the first time we could produce things that you could read and you can you could type but then we couldn't read it back so I could type a letter to my mum when I was away at boarding school, but I naturally written so it could be a Lady Gaga GooGoo what really happened now.

Is that you can actually produce I can produce stuff.

I could send you an email.

I know what can check it because you can now do go from text-to-speech and also to audio that suddenly means you can communicate on just about the same level.

When are the problems with technology is you still can't get public bodies quite often to accept the a blind person needs for example to have something back in an email form which they say isn't isn't actually safe.

Are you know? It's not private but it's a damn sight more private than having to get somebody to read my letters to me that are in print which is what I would have had done in the past.

I mean when you reflect on your 50 years presenting in touch and during that time you also became the BBC disability affairs correspondent.

I'm interested in how the medium will Audley has represented disability and how you think it's changed.

I think that disability is a problem because it's such a broad and I mean it.

I thought it only today it says you're 16 million of us in the in the UK are disabled, but we're disabled is so many.

Waze and I I often think that we talk about it in those kind of big general terms and the terms are so general that they don't really mean very much having a blind person's experience very different to somebody who's who's in a wheelchair has got mobility difficulties the two of us that wheelchair user and the blind person a very difficult different from people who have mental health problems.

I mean you can have all three or you can have both but it is such a broad thing.

I think we talk to you Lily about disability as a return and we all to go back to talking about specific groups like blindness like being a wheelchair user like having mental health difficulties because sometimes employed that you can bring in legislation which will help disabled people it's too broad and Gary Gary O'Donoghue BBC

Correspondent he was on the shower this month talking about when he interviewed a witness to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and he said in some ways.

I think his blindness may have helped him because he didn't make assumptions is that something you ever considered in your own career not so much that I wouldn't dare disagree with someone is evident as Gary I think the think I found is it sometimes to do the job because people it's a power thing in a way people who were interviewed by someone Dave you're the person is asking the questions and therefore you appear to be in control what I often found in certainly an early days is because if for example.

I went to interview somebody in their home.

They needed to help me initially I needed to find the chair.

I needed somewhere to put the tape recorder and therefore they didn't by the time we got round to doing the interview.

They were more relaxed they didn't feel.

They were being interrogated every Prime Ministers since Harold Wilson bar Jim Callaghan yeah, I lost power before I could get to him.

I'm not sure I don't think I don't think this attach.

It was very intimidated but by Damien all by any interviews.

I think the thing I had the advantage I have the iron lady was that I think she was expecting it to be a soft interview.

She she done an interesting story which I tried to tell quickly she she had I problems and she had her eyes bandage and the talking book library very cleverly got the talking book machine down to her.

So that she could listen to books because she couldn't read so and she then went back to them but because they had an event and she agreed to be there in be the guest and I went along to do an interview and she thought that this.

Obviously going to be nice and gentle and stable how grateful are you to the talking book library and she would say I'm enormously grateful what I actually said is how come that in the country.

We only get our books due to a charity.

Where is in the United States which is supposed to be much more commercially based actually it's the government that pays for books because I felt she wouldn't actually have understood that this was a charity way should by people get their books to charity other people could go to a library and draw them all out.

She stormed off and the last I thought she was giving her a civil servant a bit of a Wigan warning that question might get asked fantastic.

It's a simple as that he was friendly it was easy to talk to I didn't know exactly that feeling interview the nice people and I've just done that with you by your documentary called 50/50 Vision and is on BBC sounds now.

Thank you so much.

Please wait for coming on the programme.

I'm afraid that is all we've got time for today with rattle through other subjects today.

That was the media show on BBC news.

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