It’s no surprise that those of us who admire and love the BBC are so dismayed at its plan to eviscerate Newsnight (BBC under fire after ‘flat out bad decision’ to make big Newsnight cuts, 30 November). When we launched it in 1980, it was seen as a huge step forward. Examination of the day’s news in the depth afforded by 45 minutes was welcomed as a vital leap forward for television journalism. Since then, on countless occasions the programme has subjected the day’s news to thorough analysis, investigation and discussion. How much more essential is that today in a world with such a proliferation of dubious sources of news? OK, the audience has declined, but that leaves hundreds of thousands of us who will be starved of the journalism that matters.
Peter Snow
Presenter, Newsnight, 1980-97
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