BBC Replies to Questions About “local voices”
After writing my previous article for Mywebconnect, I contacted the BBC to see if they could clarify on their proposal to employ those of us who have a talent, but don’t have the privilege of a 1st degree with honors and a Masters just to read the autocue.
It’s actually a misconception that BBC jobs require a formal qualification as standard. We’re always recruiting for a wide range of roles and although they each call for different qualities, it’s surprising how far life experience can take you. In a few selected areas such as technical jobs we do specify particular levels of qualifications as typical with other companies.
My point here is that the our approach is NOT looking for qualifications rather than the other way round as your quote infers.
“…maintaining standards” also sounds a little strange. This was in relation to managing people’s expectations - so although we’re actively seeking to make ourselves more open and accessible as an employer - we’re still looking for individuals with real potential as well as experienced talent. It’s not a question of a lowering quality but more about our supporting and nurturing individuals with talent to fulfill their potential.
Fiona Wright
Senior Resourcing Project Manager, BBC at MediaCityUK
Perhaps I have been misconceiving this concept, but what evidence is there that truly exists in supporting this?
Maybe the first step towards this is the BBC coming along side MCIN and us community reporters, encouraging us and allowing us behind the scenes peek at North West Tonight going out live and being taught some journalism (for free) at BBC Manchester on Oxford Road. This is a major first step and I personally welcome this. They are really holding their arms out to us, giving us a taster of what goes on behind the scenes of live regional news programming.
It allowed me to imagine myself sat on the red couch next to Ranvir Singh- yes, please - reading the news! But, in the back of my mind, I cannot see it, in itself, as being enough to be employed by the BBC. I’m still not persuaded by the BBC that qualifications are not really important and I hope they prove me wrong. There again, if they do spot talent then wouldn’t we still need some level of skill and training -but where from? University of course! As anyone from the Community Reporters had a real offer of going on a placement yet? My point exactly!
Next is the ‘Introduction to Journalism’ workshops, of course it’s not comprehensive. (It is not until next week when I go to the BBC to learn more about regional news gathering and reporting. So, I cannot comment on it until I’ve experienced it first hand.)
OK. Let’s say you can point a camera, choose a good backdrop, do a white balance, press a button and record some footage. Then edit that on Final Cut Pro and produce a little piece about your corner of the woods. You then post that on the Internet as community news and write a little story to the video and post a picture taken from the footage you were editing on the timeline. You practice and practice and then you learn from the TV and other online media sites. A job comes up at the BBC, they ask you to send in your CV. What are we to put for work history (unemployed, sickness & other benefits), qualifications (none), experience in media production (voluntary community news gathering) and a good knowledge of BBC procedures in media news gathering and journalism (behind the scenes look at NWT)? Arrgh!
How would I feel if my CV was mainly blank and at the bottom “Community Reporting”? Not very confident next to 100 graduates from MMU, Salford Uni, Man Uni, UCLan, Edge Hill Uni and all other universities in the North West; all having been on placements at 3sixtyMedia, BBC Manchester, Liverpool, etc., Granada/Carlton, Lime Pictures and Channel M as part of their course. Remember the last job advertised in my previous report? Not forgetting that young female university graduate, who was on a 6 week placement – now she knows BBC procedures.
More jobs opportunities are coming soon to Manchester when Channel 4 has its regional news programs for Channel 4 News, even though ITV who part-owns ITN covers local news already. Would C4 grab established people from Channel M, Granada Reports and North West Today/Tonight, who are experienced already? Or, is C4 looking for everyday folk like you and me? Will they just advertise and take on more university graduates with a degree and an MA to read the autocue?
I believe we must, amidst the competition (500 applicants for 12 placements), look realistically at this and past the hype. We are all used to politicians saying they will do this or that, then we vote them in and they mess this country up more. Like when Gordon Brown says he wanted to eradicate child poverty, then Alistair Darling scraps the 10p tax rate and sends the poorer families further into poverty. So, should we just open our arms wide and fully believe the BBC? Maybe they could really be totally genuine and will employ local people at MediaCityUK.
The BBC are making every effort to put their point across through video, seminar workshops, leaflets and behind the scenes invitations. It certainly increased my expectations that I could, one day, be employed by the BBC. Then, I began to look realistically at my chances and realised that I still needed to gain more qualifications and up-skill. I have talent and have been spotted by BBC recruitment, but I’ve not been contacted yet. “I’m still free, by the way, BBC!”
I like to think that the BBC are sincere about the way they say they are looking for ‘local voices’ and new talent and not just in its cleaning department. We don’t want to end up missing the boat on the Manchester Ship Canal, do we?
This is Paul Ridyard, for MCIN Community News - Hulme.