BBC World Service | Your Story

A last blog entry

World Service Blogs (BBC World Service) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:43:06 +0000

This blog is no longer being updated.

You can have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or on the BBC World Service Facebook page

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Is social media isolating the audience?

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:16:41 +0000

This week we take a closer look at Facebook, and the BBC's increasing use of it. It claims to have 750 million users worldwide.

One in five webpages opened in the US is a Facebook page.

So, what happens to more conventional listeners who don't wish to sign up to the digital revolution?

This a question prompted by Alex Lee, who writes in with her fears that by choosing not to become a member of Facebook, she is being left out of the BBC conversation.

To answer Alex's fears, and also to have a more general discussion about social media, I'm joined by Julian Siddle, a BBC science programme maker, who has been dealing with social media since the very beginning.

Julian strongly argues the case for Facebook, highlighting the fact that the social media conversation will be happening anyway, so it would be foolish of the BBC to not engage with it.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

How BBC World Service has covered the 9/11 anniversary

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:34:39 +0000

This week we look into how BBC World Service has approached the tragic and very sensitive issue of the10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I find out how to get not only the content right but the tone as well.

I speak to two key people behind the BBC's coverage of the anniversary, Steve Titherington, BBC World Service Commissioning Editor, and Philippa Goodrich, Editor of Business Daily on the World Service.

Steve outlines the special approach that the World Service has taken to the anniversary, discussing how he intended to commission a range of programmes that really took the time to connect with Americans.

Philippa, in turn discusses how the 9/11 attacks can be seen as the starting point of a decade of decline for America, and talks about the difficulties in balancing the economic issues with the greater tragedy within it.

In the mailbag this week we hear from Dennis Anthony who writes in with concerns about the use of diction within the World Service, with the word 'epicentre' a particular bone of contention.

Another listener writes in to express his dissatisfaction with the overuse of ident music on the World Service.

Finally, Joy Clarke emails from South Africa to express her delight with the latest series of Reith Lectures, a series that is close to our own hearts on Over To You.

So, as you can see it's a jam packed show this week, but please if you have anything to say for next week's show, let us know. We always want to know your thoughts on the World Service.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

Subscribe to the podcast

Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Why is the BBC calling the anti-Gaddafi forces in Libya 'rebels'?

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:22:18 +0000

Why is the BBC still calling the anti-Gaddafi forces in Libya, 'rebels'?

Two listeners, Graeme Doel in Australia and Tamim Foder in Egypt, share the same feeling - as Tamim put it "Please stop calling the Libyan freedom fighters 'rebels' - they are fighters for democracy."

I spoke to Acting Head of News, Jamie Angus, who said that the news team had been using the term rebels up to the beginning of this week and a lot less since then.

He said that the BBC is trying to reflect the situation on the ground where there is on-going military action.

The National Transitional Council (NTC) forces refer to themselves as liberation forces but the BBC does not, as it has a value weighting to it.

When the NTC moves to Tripoli and declares itself a government the BBC will cease to use the word rebels entirely.

For Jamie, the key point is for "The BBC to use the right language which takes the audience with us and makes clear what we are talking about."

Regular listeners to Over to You might remember that in June we covered the case of Urunboy Usmonov, a journalist for the BBC Central Asian Service.

He was detained by authorities in Tajikistan for alleged links to banned Islamist group Hizb-ut Tahrir .

These are charges he has repeatedly denied but nonetheless Urunboy is currently on trial in Tajikistan.

To update us on the trial's progress, I was joined by his colleague and the Head of the BBC's Central Asian Service Hamid Ismailov.

He explained that Urunboy had been in touch with members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in his professional capacity to interview them as an accredited journalist in Tajikistan.

At Urunboy's trial, it has been revealed that he has been tortured with cigarette burns on his arms. Hamid said that the BBC is standing firm that Urunboy is innocent and must be released without charges.

Finally, is news about the UK on the World Service too London-focused? If so, is that a problem?

We were contacted by Andrew Pearce from Formby in the North West of England - over 200 away from London - who is concerned that the World Service's news output is unfairly biased towards the capital city.

I put Andrew's point to Steve Titherington, Senior Commissioning Editor for the World Service who said that, "Where the story deserves it and the BBC is not in the capital, it's important to point out the distinctions where there are distinctions, and where there are commonalities, talk about the commonalities."

What do you think? We're always interested to hear from you at Over to You.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Celebrating Click: Ten years of technology

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:28:40 +0000

It used to be called Digital Planet, it's now called Click - either way it celebrates ten years on air this week, a fleeting moment in human history, but in terms of technology and new media, generations.

You only have to look at some of the most significant trends and geopolitical events to realise just how influential technology has been in the last decade.

The programme's presenter for the past five years has been Gareth Mitchell, and I ask him if he thinks it's a momentous anniversary.

Gareth agrees that so much has happened in those ten years and explaines that for many years Digital Planet had been working with colleagues on Click, for BBC World and that it made sense when the schedules were changed earlier this year to join forces in a more formalised way.

Gareth explains how both Click TV and Radio programmes are very plugged into social media.

With just about any story which might have global significance, they have their own humanitarian or political components, and they also often have a technological angle.

For instance, how are people crowd sourcing through social media to assist people who have been affected by a natural disaster?

I also ask him about the Arab Spring and he explaines that they have been asking some tough questions about the role of social media in the Arab Spring.

Over the last six months, views have changed from it being 'the Facebook revolution' to doubts that social media caused the Arab Spring.

Gareth says a fascinating discussion on this had been playing out over the past six months.

By looking at the blogs and feeds, Click can assess the key role that technology plays - and also put it into context.

If you have views on technology and Click, we'd like to hear from you in the usual way.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

How are women in South Sudan being portrayed in the media?

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:05:11 +0000

This week we explore an issue about a new nation, born earlier this year and which still has some pretty traditional patriarchal attitudes.

How are women in South Sudan being portrayed in the media?

Does this herald a new dawn for this invisible group?

This is a problem that spans the globe. If a sector of society is all but invisible, how do you go about representing them in the media?

This is a particular pertinent issue with the portrayal of women in recently created South Sudan. And its related to the everyday difficulties that women working in the media face globally.

I speak to Asha Arabi, a contributor to a new book called Pain, Hope and Patience: The Lives of Women in South Sudan which examines the issue of female representation in South Sudan.

I am also joined by Lyse Doucet, BBC presenter and correspondent, who explained how she approaches this issue.

In our mailbag, we have questions from listeners about the BBC's coverage of the recent riots in England. Erik Kao is concerned about potential double standards when it comes to reporting.

Erik wrote, "I couldn't help drawing a parallel with the Tibetan riots before the Beijing Olympics. It's disconcerting that the way the BBC is covering London riots is so different from that in Tibetan riots.

BBC news branded the looting, smashing and arson in London as riots while when the same happened in Tibet, your news reports had so much reservation in using the word riot, not to mention that seldom did you call those Tibetan extremists setting fires and attacking non-Tibetans as rioters. You used the word 'protesters' which implied a sort of justification in their violence".

What do you think? Are there double standards in the way BBC is covering domestic disturbances?

Should we pay extra attention to the tone of this coverage in the run up to the London Olympics?

Is the World service replicating the news agenda of every other broadcaster?

And is it missing a trick to be different?

We want to hear from you so get in touch.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

Subscribe to the podcast

Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Reporting the financial world

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:23:43 +0000

With the world's stock markets in turmoil and concerns about the global economy escalating, this week on Over to You we have been looking at the challenges that face those who report on the financial world.

How do reporters cover these developments without influencing the state of the markets and exacerbating the situation?

Martin Webber, editor of World Business Report, joined me in the studio to discuss the dilemmas that face reporters at a time of economic turbulence.

Martin explained that language is very important when describing the state of the markets and provided an insight into the guidance he has given about covering the story.

He explained that for a fall of two percent, moderate words like 'falling back' should be used, whereas describing markets as 'plunging' should only be used for falls of five or six percent - and 'crash' only for falls of 18-20 percent, which happen only once in a generation.

Social media in Egypt

Elsewhere in the world, Egypt's former president Mubarak appears on trial in Cairo, bringing the country's revolution back into the headlines.

Earlier in the year social media was credited with bringing down his regime, and we wanted to know if it is still playing such an important role today, so I discussed the subject with blogger and activist Wael Abbas and Sam Farrah, presenter of Talking Point on BBC Arabic.

We explored whether the balance has changed in the relationship between new social media, like Twitter, and the more conventional traditional media.

Wael explained that social media has been having a harder time recently as people have been listening more to the state media.

Sam thought that mainstream media has a role in cooperationg with social media, and while it may be facing a tough time, it is a temporary phase.

If you have anything you want to comment about that you hear on the World Service, we are always pleased to hear from you, so do contact us.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

Subscribe to the podcast

Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Journalists and the law

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:06:15 +0000

This week on Over to You we ask if it ever acceptable for journalists to break the law in the name of a story

Inspired by both your emails and the recent revelations surrounding the News of the World phone hacking scandal in the UK, I speak to two journalists and discuss crossing legal boundaries.

I'm joined in the studio for a spirited discussion, by Jon Williams, BBC World News Editor and Sakima Datoo, former Managing Editor of the Tanzanian Guardain.

Sakima has done extensive investigative work, but puts forth a staunch critique of the BBC entering country's illegally, questioning if there ever be can a truly objective public interest.

Whereas, Jon makes a strong case for the BBC's entrance to countries such as Syria in order to get a true, unbiased picture of events unfolding there.

World Service cuts

There's also time for your emails, with Margaret More O'Farrel writing in to offer further reaction to World Service cuts and its future direction.

Gordon Carney shares some fond memories of listening to the World Service in his youth.

As always please keep writing and sending in your thoughts on the World Service.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

Subscribe to the podcast

Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

News coverage on BBC World Service

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:38:47 +0000

On this week's Over to You we look behind the stories that have been making the news.

We try to get to grips with exactly how the news is made, the decisions and challenges that are overcome in order to deliver it on the World Service.

Steve Evans, BBC World Service's Berlin correspondent joins me from Oslo, where he has been covering the unfolding tragedy there. Steve talks me through what makes this a uniquely Norwegian crisis, and how this affected coverage of it.

Phone hacking scandal

It's been the biggest media story of the year and is showing no sign of abating, but has the News of the World phone hacking scandal received too much coverage on the World Service? A listener puts this question to Andrew Whitehead, editor of news and current affairs on the World Service.

Better relations

In the mailbag we have a response to last week's special edition with World Service commissioning editors Jeremy Skeet and Steve Titherington. Listener Piet Boon shares his thoughts and ideas about how to improve listener relations.

That's it in a jam packed programme this week, as always please post you thoughts on the blog.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes.

Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

BBC World Service Cuts: Four Months On

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:01:40 +0000

This week on a special edition of Over To You we discuss programmes on BBC World Service with two of its commissioning executives. I am joined in studio by Jeremy Skeet, Commissioning Editor, and Steve Titherington, Senior Comissioning Editor for the World Service - the two men in charge of factual programming on the World Service.

We've been sifting through our mail bag to find the burning issues to put directly to them. On the agenda; how have the cuts to the World Service settled in, how has the content changed and what have the editors re-energised.

Listener Tim Foulkes had concerns about whether the World Service has become to news oriented. He also has questions, ones that many other listeners seem to share, about the current state of The Strand.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Chris Green from Jakarta has sent us an email expressing his displeasure at the dropping of World of Music. Jeremy and Steve gave us their reactions to these and other comments, and talked me through their plans for innovative use of music documentaries and podcasts.

The media world

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:03:16 +0000

On this week's Over To You we look into the wider media world and focus on the continuing coverage on the drought in the Horn of Africa.

As the worst drought in 20 years hits the region we look at how and when it became a major news story.

We explore the relationship between aid organisations, such as Oxfam and the DEC, and the media; how do they interact and how does this relationship influence the news?

We discussed this issue with Solomon Mugera, BBC Editor Africa Region.

Some listeners may remember Solomon joined us recently to discuss South Sudan's independence and we couldn't pass up this opportunity to get him back on the show.

Ian Bray, senior press officer for Emergencies and Disasters at Oxfam also joined us to explain a bit more about how aid organisations use the media.

They considered the challenges created by this particular disaster and a more general sense of how charities and news organisations work together.

The Over To You mailbag had plenty of variety this week.

You may remember that Sue Ellis joined us last month to discuss the Reith Lectures with Aung San Suu Kyi.

After the first lecture was aired, the Burmese government banned any political activity including further statements by Ms Suu Kyi's party.

Now we don't know that the statement and the ban are linked, but Sergio Joaquim Dique from Mozambique wrote in expressing his concerns about the implications of for her safety that her participation in the lecture has created.

We put his question to Sue Ellis, Chair of the Reith Lectures and asked how does the BBC assess the risk for participants in programmes.

Michelle Vigar, who hails from Cyprus, isn't happy with how the BBC covered Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Canada, in particular how the BBC chose to discuss Kate Middleton's appearance and role.

And finally Carla Sutherland contacted us in with concerns about the BBC's coverage of the Women's Football World Cup.

We've got good news regarding the BBC's ongoing coverage, and hopefully will assuage Carla's concerns.

That's all we've got space for this week, and as always please keep your comments coming.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Covering legal cases

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:17:57 +0000

This week on Over to You we have been looking at the reporting of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn case in New York.

What are the challenges facing an international broadcaster like the BBC when a high profile court case like this goes global?

Since former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was first arrested on charges of attempted rape on 14 May, the case has been obsessively followed by press on both sides of the Atlantic, and details of the allegations against him have been repeatedly leaked to the media.

But last week, the media itself became part of the story, after the New York Times ran an article in which law enforcement officials questioned the credibility of the accuser.

After his bail hearing later that day, Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest, and scenes at the courthouse reached fever pitch.

So how has the American media reported the unfolding Strauss-Kahn case, and what challenges do they pose legally for international broadcasters like the BBC?

The BBC's New York correspondent Laura Trevelyan who reported from the courthouse that day, and BBC World News Editor, Joanna Mills discussed these issues with me.

Laura explained how extraordinary the story as a clash of two very different worlds.

Laura covered the United Nations for the BBC where she would see Mr Strauss-Kahn on the global stage, and she contrasted that with the downtown Manhattan courtroom where she found herself waiting for him to appear from the cells to be brought into court.

One of our listeners pointed out that the outcome of the case would be settled by an American jury otherwise it would be a travesty of justice and I wondered whether this case showed that the American media is taking things too far.

Laura explained that in America the First Amendment of the constitution is freedom of speech and the press, so in an open society, information is a currency that everyone has access to.

I wanted to know from Joanna if she felt any responsibility to ensure that the justice system is not prejudiced by reporting - she explained that it is not the BBC's role to see that justice is served, as that is the role of the justice system, but it is the BBC's responsibility to make sure that it doesn't undermine that system.

In a UK case, the BBC is governed by strict laws about what can be reported before the case is put to the jury, but no matter where the story is happening, there are three key principles for her - is the coverage accurate, is it fair, and is it impartial.

These principles apply whether it is reporting an uprising in Syria or a criminal case in New York.

I hope that gives you a sense of the complexity of covering legal cases as a global news organisation.

In the meantime, keep your emails and calls coming.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

A new country is born

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:50:11 +0000

This week's Over to You marks the birth of a new country.

In January 2011, a referendum on the independence of the southern region of Sudan was overwhelmingly passed, with 98% of the vote.

On the 9th July - just over six months later, the time will come for South Sudan to declare its independence, and with it, to step out of the shadow of the north.

It's a momentous event for Africa, and one that the World Service is marking with a series of programmes from 4th July to South Sudan's own independence day on 9th July.

In this week's programme, I speak to Vera Kwakofi, planning editor for the World Service's Africa output about the season of programmeswhich explores what secession means to both north and South Sudan, as well as its neighbours and the wider world.

We also discuss how the World Service and the Africa Service have long followed and reported the tumultuous history of Sudan and the South's long road to independence.

Before I met Vera, I talked to MathiasMuindi of the BBC's monitoring service, from his office in Nairobi about how the media landscape in South Sudan is beginning to take shape.

Traditionally, the government of the North has heavily restricted and censored the press, and Mathias told me of recent moves in the south which suggest that this isn't a situation that's likely to change when the Republic of South Sudan is born.

He told me about how, despite the poor infrastructure in the region, the internet and social media is slowly helping to assert journalistic independence, and put the reporting of news in the hands of the people - not the political powers intent on strict restriction of the media. But we also discussed the climate of censorship in the region that extends even to private media outlets, of which there are many.

Also on this week's programme, in the week the BBC Hindi Language and Arabic services were handed lifelines from the cuts affecting the World Service, we hear from one listener who believes the network now bares little resemblance to the one the Foreign Office originally agreed to fund, and as such, it should operate like a commercial broadcaster.

The cuts and the latest reprieve are issues we get a great deal of correspondence on, and please, keep telling us what you think of this and of World Service programmes.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Freedom

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:38:14 +0000

This week's Over to You brings together two stories about freedom.

First, I speak to DiloramIbrahimova of the BBC's Central Asian Service about the detention of her colleague, Urunboy Usmanov in Tajikistan.

On 14 June Urunboy was detained by security services and accused of being a member of an extremist Islamic group - Hizbut-Tahrir - an accusation his colleagues and friends regard as absurd - indeed, Diloram talks in the programme about Urunboy's unfailing fairness in his reporting.

Despite appeals for his release from the BBC and the British and American embassies in Tajikistan at the time we recorded the programme Urunboy remained in detention, and a vigil to raise awareness of his situation had been held outside BBC Bush House.

Unlike some other Central Asian states, Tajikistan does have independent media, and Urunboy himself is also the editor of a newspaper.

But, as Diloram told me, his capture comes at a time when the Tajik government is clamping down heavily on press freedom. The country is ranked 115th out of 178 countries in the global press freedom index (Reporters Without Borders). Other central Asian countries rate far worse - Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan all fall within the bottom 20, and Diloram also told me of the fate of other journalists in the region accused of bias and bringing their countries into disrepute.

Our thoughts are with Urunboy and his family.

Freedom is also the theme in this week's second item.

With the BBC's annual Reith lectures approaching, I spoke to Sue Ellis, editor of the series about this year's theme - Securing Freedom - and just how they approached Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi to deliver the first two lectures.

Sue tells me about the trials of fixing up the lectures and how to record them in a state where foreign journalists are banned.

Aung Sang Suu Kyi has also spoken this week on how important the World Service has been to her whilst she was under house arrest, saying it was her friend and her contact with the outside world - though she does wish there was more music on the network now.

So as a regular listener she was aware of the weight attached to the Reith lectures, and was very flattered to be asked to deliver two - but does say how she wishes she had more time to prepare.

Also this week - but not on the theme of freedom - a number of your comments on problems listening to the World Service online in Europe (specifically in some areas of France and Italy).

The BBC team responsible identified the source of this problem and it has been resolved. They are working hard to ensure that listeners don't experience disruption again - but should that change, please do let us know.

As always keep your comments coming.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

Subscribe to the podcast
Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

California's Porn Industry on Assignment

Rajan Datar (BBC World Service) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:56:31 +0000

Was pornography, even in the context of a programme about the porn industry, an appropriate subject for the Assignment slot on BBC World Service?

The programme makers argue that many of the issues in the programme are pertinent to people working in the porn industry around the world, but Rob Howe from California emailed us to express his dislike of this edition of Assignment.

Rob said that he is not a prude, but the Assignment on the porn industry was "classless and gratuitous" and well below the Service's usual standards.

He felt it was unnecessary to include some of the elements featured in the programme.

We asked the editor of Assignment, Bridget Harney, why the programme was made in the first place and she told me that because the California porn movie industry is huge, with hundreds of production companies, thousands of employees, and is also present globally, it was an appropriate subject for the programme to cover.

So with such a big industry, why wouldn't Assignment want to look at some of the issues - particularly health and workers' rights - that have taken place?

However Bridget did point out that a warning was broadcast before the programme aired which stated that the documentary began from the set of a porn movie, so if anyone wanted to switch off they could have done so.

Bridget also explained that the programme had unique access to the set of the movie. It was difficult to gain the confidence of the actors and crew, and the material was handled very sensitively, but as they were on a film set it would have been odd not to have had sound for a radio programme.

Also in this week's programme, six months after the start of the Arab Spring a new report by BBC Monitoring has raised some interesting findings about the Egyptian media's coverage of the protests.

The report also compared the way that private TV stations and international news channels covered the protests.

You can find out whether the lessons from Egypt also apply to what is now happening in Syria by listening to the podcast.

Keep your emails, calls and letters coming.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

Subscribe to the podcast
Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog