Woman's Hour today on Camila Batmanghelidjh

[PursuingProxemicExactitude]

I honestly have no words.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sjxy

Relentless hostility and suspicion. Not one single positive word in half an hour. So tired of this. Woman's Hour is a travesty of itself now.

(I glimpsed another thread but can't find it.)

as though they are stupid.

In this instance it was as though they are lying.

I don't find her bullying. It's refreshing to hear people held to account and not allowed to give 'media trained' answers

They are not held to account though - Zara never answered the question and was never going to when hectored in that way. All that came out of that interview was a debate over the style of the interviewer.

Compare to the likes of Emily Maitliss, Anita Rani, Mishal Hussain and many other current women in broadcast interviewing - the skill is to get some answers, not Paxman points for demonstrating a dated and predctable style. Any professional interview subject will have evasion tactics for a "Paxman-lite".

I was cautiously hopeful that EB would adapt her style to the magazine format but so far its all the EB show and depressingly few real answers from guests on more challenging points.

@Vthirtyone

I really like EB, a welcome change from the cosy, unexciting JM and (less so) JG. I think WH feels much more important and relevant now. I don't find her bullying. It's refreshing to hear people held to account and not allowed to give 'media trained' answers.

I agree. Jane Garvey was always excellent on 5 Live yet strangely muted on WH. For me, the programme has taken on a new lease of life.

Emma Barnett is assertive but not rude. If she wants people to actually answer questions that they'd rather avoid, whose fault is that? They are people in a public role (CB, ZM) so not shrinking violets.

1. WH
2. CB

Onestep2021 has nailed it. It's the faux incredulity that is grating. (Louis Theroux also employs this technique in a slightly different way but I still find it annoying.)

1. That David Ainsworth article imho is based on some false assumptions. Of course there are certain transparency and accountability rules that businesses and charities share but they have completely different objectives and I despair of people who always assume they should be run in the same way.

And if you have ever worked in a front line charity, of COURSE CB hadn't built up financial reserves (not if the cash is going to the people who need it anyway) and of course charities operate on a knife edge. That is the reality of the way they are funded. Very very rarely does a benefactor or sponsor come along and say "here is funding for the next twenty years no strings attached". Your time is split between helping the end-users and endless (and I mean endless, and time consuming) bid writing, and stressing about where the next buck is coming from. Charities are constantly being driven to the brink. If you are successful in a bid then you only have the money coming in for two years and you have to adhere to criteria to use it in a certain way that fits in with the "visions and values" of the company deriving PR value from the sponsorship they are offering. Then it comes to an abrupt end and you start all over again. People are very naeive on here to assume it would have been different for KC , even with government sponsorship. The figures are higher but the fundamental issues are the same.

Jane Garvey was always excellent on 5 Live yet strangely muted on WH

Both Jane and Jenny have commented on frustrations at being muzzled on WH by the Beeb.

Emma Barnett is assertive but not rude. If she wants people to actually answer questions that they'd rather avoid, whose fault is that? They are people in a public role (CB, ZM) so not shrinking violets.

But it doesn't work. She doesn't get the answers.

ZM simply stepped back and repeated a line, CB was able to challenge back because of the style. In both cases the performance interviewing became the dominant factor and failed to get the answers.

@VinylDetective

Emma Barnett is such a bad fit with WH. She’s so aggressive and so rude. I’m really hoping she won’t last long. Fridays are so much better with Anita Rani.

Agree agree agree Emma Barnett is like a sports / football commentator on this show. She has the empathy of an Adder.

Can't they put that lovely voiced last from Sheffield on (Paulette? Pauline? )

I seriously question bothering to listen to WH anymore with Mrs Barnett vocally eating and attacking her guests. God, I hate her style. Where is Bavisha? Anyone? Adrian Chiles? Joke! I'm getting seriously fed up with Barnett. My school rugby teacher was more empathetic than her.

Amen @Onairjunkie "God, I miss Jenni and Jane. They were so comfortable, relaxed, knowledgeable and dignified. They let their guests speak, pushing for answers respectfully until they got them. And they always got them. And they brought such familiar humour and joy to it, "

I've been a faithful listener since my A Levels, been abroad and back and now abroad again and I cannot attest that I will be so faithful with Frau Barnett on the case.