or not, it may seem (storm vs. Madela coverage)

[LoopyLobster]

Twitter is astorm with grumbles that the BBC and Sky News are covering Mandela's death exclusively - not enough info on the big storm. Looking at BBC's twitter page, for the past 4 hours, every single tweet is about Mandela.

I'm not in the UK, and finding it quite hard to see what's going on there. I definitely know for sure that Mandela is dead. He was a great man, but it has come as no surprise to me, and seems a little less urgent than the fact that people are losing their homes, businesses, and potentially family members in our tiny, sea-surrounded island.

Hmmm...

I think Nelson Mandela was a brilliant and inspirational man. His death should be marked.

The weather coverage (I live in NE Scotland), or lack there of, doesn't bother me. They focus on our weather in local news segments. On national news it's pretty evenly covered IMO.
I think the reason there is more coverage when something like snow happens in London is because they aren't so used to it, where as we get snow most years and are more prepared for it. We've had snow where I stay since last week. Not heavy though.
I realise I am now rambling and I'm not really sure what this post has added to the conversation...

Salbertina, whilst I respect
Your opinion of course
You are entitled
To that, but western countries do plenty for rainbow countries in times of naturaldisaster, do they not send the the Red Cross! Aid? Or even money?? Or what about comic relief in this country where this country raises millions of millions of pounds!

I don't disagree with you on that one Salbertina. Yes we are Developing Worlds blind unless there is a crisis and yes we do portray the whole of the African continent as a fly blown ,starving pestilence and civil war torn homogenuous mass. It is racist and patronising.

I don't subscribe to the idea that SA is a happy paradise, equal for all now that apartheid is over. Much goes underground and institutional racism and inequality still exists.

I would be happy to donate to a suitable charity/org in his name if you would like to suggest some. That would be fitting. Maybe something that is involved with education and training?

Thistle- exactly, but I'm NOT talking about humanitarian disasters, I'm talking about the daily small-scale events such as fires which devastate already hard lives. And the grinding poverty in which millions still live here.

I am also in South Africa. Today is indeed a very sad day - and honouring Madiba is the only topic on our news too. Not only the news, the radio stations are not airing any commercials, the movie LWTF has been suspended for 24 hours, and every aspect of the media is covering Madiba's death. We too are having other newsworthy stories happening around us - but the news being aired is of Madiba's death.

I have been out and about today. I wish I could express the feeling amongst normal South Africans today. Today, the other stuff just doesn't matter as much...

Happy to PM you, Mignotte. The ones i know are v local and i prefer to remain anonymous on here.

Are people lighting white candles where you are, Lolly?

That would be good Salbertina. Thank you.

Not that I have noticed Salbertina..... Most people are wearing black, but what strikes me is the most sombre mood amongst all the people.

It is a very sad day indeed and I've definitely been struggling with a lump in my throat a number of times since hearing the news last night.

I think it is right that there is pretty much blanket coverage of his death, I'm not sure that I can think of anyone else in the world today who is more iconic and who would be mourned so universally.

There was a lot of coverage about the storm and I'm firmly in the SE and away from the coast, I knew about it and was thinking a lot about people who could be affected. Yes there possibly should have been a bit more time last night in-between the extended BBC news and then the Mandela tribute programme that followed on straight afterwards but this was an exceptional event to report.

Is the funeral definitely to be held on 13th? More blanket coverage I'm sure and quite rightly so.

But, Salbertina this is about the BBC coverage in the UK.
What you point out is sad and true but I would expect at least some coverage of the national news on the national main news programme.

The irony is that you are complaining about things going unreported but at the same time tell off people who want similar reported.
If course Nelson Mandela's death needs to be covered and respects paid, and he deserves it richly, no one is against that.
But really, BBC even wheeled out a quote from Tiger Woods. Why? As far as I'm concerned TW can crawl back wherever he came from, he had no job opining about Nelson Mandela's death.

And the events last night were bit just the weather forecast, it was a major event.
People lost homes and livelihoods, thousands worked through the day and the night.

Quote from TW? Jeez that is a total waste of airtime.

Enjoyed some of the tributes this morning on R4, even Tony Blair !

I loved Nelson Mandela he was amazing .

Can also feel very much for the people who have lost homes and businesses of course.

BBC news Mandela first just now and then flood surge. It's top subject on You and Yours R4.

I do think comparing it the flood 50 years ago is a bit irrelevant, so much has changed since then and I saw coverage of the police going around door knocking to advise people on what to do etc. We are so much more aware of what is coming our way weather wise these days.

I look forward to seeing an in-depth programme about the life and work of Nelson Mandela. He was a huge figure for people in my generation.

But, and this is just about the BBC last night , I did find it odd that BBC1 had swept away the schedule last night for coverage of reactions to Mandela's death and at the same time the BBC news channel was showing the (I think?) same coverage while over on BBC2 Kirsty Wark on Newsnight was hosting an extended tribute. I was searching for news of the storm surge here and on the continent, and looking for Question Time. It seemed a bad use of multiple channels.

We live in Scotland. There were 100+ mile an hour winds. People died on the roads. Schools were closed. We were without power for nearly 24 hours. When our power returned, Mandela had died. We wanted to know how everyone else was, what had happened to the rest of Britain as we knew (from our own experience) how bad the storm was. It is understandable that they would devote so much time to him but on the BBC 10 O'clock news there was NO MENTION OF THE STORM at all. Not one reference, even though the news had been extended. Even on the BBC Scotland news segment, they led with Mandela.

We always have a massive issue with BBC Scotland. Whatever the News item is that leads the BBC UK wide news, it is then the lead on the BBC segment. So - BBC News "Nelson Mandela has died" BBC Scotland News "Nelson Mandela has died and Scots mourn...". They did then go on to talk about the storm

We were actually pretty bloody angry with this. They could have given it 5 minutes and updated us on the storm.

Yes, storms happen. But this was pretty huge, even in an area of Britain where we are well used to big storms.

I think the BBC and Sky lost the balance last night. They suddenly stopped coverage of a very real and dangerous event as it was on going. Yes, the death of Nelson Mandela should have been covered and his life celebrated, but it shouldn't have been at the expense of losing coverage of something that was making many people very anxious and was posing a threat to life.

Many people today will be going back to homes and businesses that have been devastated, they still have one or two more tides in this surge cycle to watch. Thank goodness that the majority of the sea defences held. The surge in parts was higher than in 1953.

One of the important things about the weather events of the last 24 hours that has been COMPLETELY missed because of the ridiculous 'we had this material prepared so we are going to run with it no matter what' approach of the BBC and the other national news outlets, is that so far, in most places, the extremely expensive flood defences have worked well. But had we had better ones, the situation would have been even less bad (and it isn't nearly as bad as it would have been without coastal defences). Floods and spending money on flood defences are very thorny issues. I live in a region which isn't threatened at all this time but which had portions under floodwater for 13 continuous months 2012-2013 and which is scheduled to be virtually cut off from the rest of the UK (in train terms) for two weeks late Jan/Feb next year partly as a result of the need to make good the damage that happened due to flooding last year. We need the environment agency to splash the cash to try and ensure that this never happens again - but they aren't keen to spend what is needed. It's the same all over the country. This is a REALLY IMPORTANT news story - in a way that the death of Nelson Mandela as it's being reported isn't (there are extremely important issues around what will happen now, but they aren't focussing on that really, just the historical impact. Which isn't actually news).

I to think the BBC got the balance wrong (sorry, I haven't seen any other news programmes). Yes Mandela dying is a big story but they could have at least mentioned what was happening with the floods.

We need the environment agency to splash the cash to try and ensure that this never happens again - but they aren't keen to spend what is needed Its not the EAs fault...

This weather event may affect the whole of the UK that's why its so important and should be covered on the news. So far the effects have been more towards the 'best case scenario' end but there's no guarantee that will change.

I think the balance was wrong too. Of course the death of Mandela is to be mourned but dragging in rentagobs for quotes and interviewing people who met him for 30 secs is unnecessary. Also, without meaning to be insensitive, there is time for more in-depth analysis and reporting as we lead up to his funeral. The storms are happening now and people want to know what's happening.

It's not an either/or choice but a question of covering both stories fairly surely?

This isnt about people not appreciating Mandela, his life and his passing and all he stood for. I dont think anyone on here is saying it wasn'r/isn't important but complete saturation of our news channels as if nothing absolutely nothing else was happening or had happend when in reality the worse storm for 60 years was apparently wreaking havoc across the UK. The BBC saw the storm as very newsworthy story beforehand but then there was nothing absolutely nothing.
It wouldnt have been too bad if they actually had something to tell us but there really is only so long anyone can drag out announcing someones death and reporting peoples feelings on it before if becomes just plain repetative and losing any sentitment to viewer.
Oh and for me wanting to catch up on the DAYS news it was not just the lack of storm coverage but also the lack of coverage of any other news including the autumn statement as well as other stuff. It was as if there was a news blackout on everything else.

It was wrong and I am off right now to find out where the hell I send a complaint to the BBC. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Here is a link if anyone else wishes to complain www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

I also live in Scotland and so loads of news about the storm up here before NM died, it was all over the headlines.
It had passed when his death was announced but featured heavily on local news.
I also saw loads about the predicted storm surge, so people must have been prepared and it was all over breakfast news this morning.
I really don't think anyone missed out on lack of coverage.

The BBC didn't stop broadcasting though, did it? The local radio stataions, which could give up to the minute information relevant to those at risk, were broadcasting weren't they? And anyone with relatives in at-risk areas could listen online to the relevant local radio station. It would be impossible for national news to cover the weather situation for all areas to the indepth level some posters seem to want.

There are more than 6 BBC radio channels, if you can be bothered to look.

I missed out on lack of coverage, LadyBeagleEyes. Our power had been off since 3am and, when it came on again, we wanted to see something more than just Mandela. We wanted to know about the Autumn statement, the storm. But we were given wall to wall blanket coverage. I get his importance. I am even old enough to have written letters when he was imprisoned, but I think the BBC has a duty to cover more than one story. We had just come through a hell of a time, feeling cut off from the world and, power restored, we were just as cut off from news. Yes, I could have searched the internet but I pay a licence fee so they cover all news, not just a single issue.

Also, WTAF with the Scottish news (a 5 minute segment last night) leading on Scottish tributes to Mandela and not accepting that this had JUST been covered, comprehensively on the SAME channel.