Thematic 鈥榖ig picture鈥 journalism emerged as
one of the highlights of this year鈥檚 programme
making. Major seasons focused on issues that
concern people everywhere, addressing
questions such as 鈥榃ho runs your world?鈥
and 鈥楬ow are we going to find the energy
we need for the future?鈥
鈥楽potting the big themes and trends is
something we made a particular point of
doing during the year,鈥 says Phil Harding,
Director of English Networks and News. 鈥業t鈥檚
one of the things 麻豆社 World Service is
uniquely placed to do because of the spread
of correspondents and the amount of
expertise, knowledge and insight that鈥檚
available. Sometimes developments that can
be very significant only happen over a period
of time, almost like watching grains of sand
building a sand dune, and we need to spot
these trends first.鈥
The Who Runs Your World? season involved
every language service on radio and online and
also featured on 麻豆社 World television. Highprofile
interviews took place with a wide range
of people, from UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan to the Executive Producer of The
Simpsons. Language services covered issues that
mattered most to their audiences, such as the
endemic problem of corruption in Russia and
towns run by organised criminals in Albania.
鈥榃e aimed to challenge, inform and tackle a
major theme on behalf of users of the 麻豆社鈥檚
international news services,鈥 say project
leaders Hilary Bishop and Alice Donald. 鈥楤y
focusing all our services on one theme, it was
an opportunity to make a really powerful
impact with great output, thoughtful
journalism, insight, creativity and interactivity.鈥
Former South African President Nelson
Mandela topped a poll to find the person
most people would like to form a fantasy
world government. Online users could also try
their hand at running the world in Power Play,
an interactive game made available in eight
languages.The reaction showed people felt it
was not just presidents and prime ministers
who ran their world but family, partners and
economic factors were extremely important.
鈥榃hen you think about power, we often
define it only through political relationships
but by asking 鈥淲ho runs your world?鈥 we got
a very different set of answers,鈥 says Phil
Harding. 鈥極ne of the insights that came out of
the season was a real sense of what an
interesting mix of forces run people鈥檚 lives.鈥
Fuelling the Future
In a special season, Fuelling the Future, 麻豆社
World Service news, business and science
programmes were devoted to energy issues
for a week as concerns grew more
widespread that an energy gap could lead to a
crisis for humanity.
Radio and online reports brought listeners
and online users a global perspective, from
Russia鈥檚 controversial role in reducing the level
of Ukraine鈥檚 gas supplies to Venezuela鈥檚 oil
bonanza. Programmes looked at the
production of oil and its fluctuating price and
investigated how countries of the G8 and the
large developing economies of China, India
and Brazil would be able to fuel their future
growth if cheap energy sources ran out.
They examined the link between energy and
policy, asking if concerns about energy security
influence the United States鈥 stance.The season
weighed up arguments for and against different
energy sources, assessed their effect on the
environment and considered viable alternatives
to relying on oil, coal and nuclear power.
The Fuelling the Future season deployed
the 麻豆社 World Service鈥檚 global news
resources, to bring a key issue into focus
(in countries all over the world).
- Presenting World Business Report from
India, Mark Gregory investigated the
country鈥檚 energy needs. 鈥楲ike China and
the West, India is scouring the world for
new sources of energy but so far hasn鈥檛
done very well in securing deals.鈥
- 鈥楨nergy will bring Russia considerable
political power.The world is waiting
to see how that power is going to
be used,鈥 reported Emma Simpson
in Moscow.
- 鈥業f Shell is ready and willing to work with
the people and understand their needs, we
will welcome them into our abundant lands
and work with them,鈥 local community
worker Sampson Agba told reporter
Dan Isaacs in Nigeria鈥檚 Delta region.
- 鈥楾he country has no nuclear energy
programme of its own, but even so,
uranium arouses powerful and contrasting
emotions here,鈥 reported online
environment correspondent Richard
Black from an Australian uranium mine.
Who Runs Your World?
The Official Poll
The season was launched by one of the
biggest surveys of worldwide public
opinion ever undertaken, representing
the views of 1.3 billion people, surveyed
by Gallup International.
- Nearly half said elections were not
free or fair.
- Many were pessimistic about their
ability to change their lives.
- Family was very important.
- National identity was still strong.
- There was a low trust rating for
politicians.
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A year in review |
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Major programme seasons |
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