Congrats BBC Newsnight Editor Peter Barron off to Google (video Interview,07)

It's a biggie of a story, and I wish I could say the above rare interview with the BBC Newsnight Editor last year gave some clues, but then I'd be fibbing.

But it's worth listening to Peter nonetheless talk about extreme transparency, blogging and the rest.

Peter as I said back in 2007 in this interview republished above is one of the most progressive television bods you'll meet.

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I hadn't intended the interview. I was showing Peter the gear to report digital broadcast stuff and how the next generation of journalists will really be IM6VJs ( interactive multimedia video journalists)
So as we finished talking and he was in a rush to another interview, I asked him a few questions. Now that's one of the pluses of carrying a small digi-camera, the A1 in your bag.

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Peter, whom I first got to know from my tenure at Newsnight as a researcher in 1990 and then a freelance producer at Channel 4 News, is, I'm certain many will say, a good catch for the internet behemoth, Google.

He joins as head of communications and public affairs for the UK, Ireland and Benelux regions.

It certainly is Newsnight's loss, but perhaps signals something greater; that the divide between broadcasting and digital tech media is not like it was.

Yes execs have always shuffled from one job to another, but a high profile move like this at a time when there's a push and pull between broadcasters and Net media will give steam to others to throw away their inhibitions and go digital tech media.

Mind you, only recently Erik Huggers, from Microsoft joined the BBC and is now the BBC director of future media and technology, so it cuts both ways and perhaps suggest there's little between both camps.

You could also argue we shouldn't read to much into Peter's move; its a personal choice after all. The email response I got from him indicates he's raring to go.

Many congratulations to him.

I'm a few minutes away from posting my interview with former Sky News head of News Nick Pollard. If you listen to that, you'll realise no editor is safe.

NB: Alas Peter's departure means I have missed the opportunity of doing a VJ piece behind the scenes, that we discussed.
On viewmagazine.tv you'll find a range of interviews including Bradley Horrowitz ( Yahoo) and Peter Horrocks, BBC Head of Multimedia News.

Do you trust television? BBC Newsnight Editor Peter Barron answers

Peter Barron, Editor of Newsnight, the BBC's flagship news analyses programme is on The Today programme - a national BBC talk radio show which invariably shapes the news agenda.

He's talking about the issue of trust in the media and answering the presenter John Humphries' question about how the TV industry can mend this.

This week at the annual gathering of television's power players, the Edinburgh International Television Festival there will be debate and soul searching on this point.

There has been, it's acknowledged, been a drop in trust in the broadcast media. About half of the people polled in a survey ( sorry will find the link) say they've don't believe what they see any longer. Here's a link to one in 2006 by Reuters.

It comes in the wake of a series of blunders on TV.

Peter is one of the key figures behind this year's festival. You''ll be hard pressed to find video interviews of him anywhere so this is one real benefit of producing viewmagazine.tv as I interviewed him there some weeks ago.

The views he made on the Today programme are very similar to the 2 minute video interview. So click below to hear Peter's prescription for dealing with trust in the media.

TV Interest

My first TV job completeing a journalism Masters was BBC Newsnight in 1990. Peter Barron then was one of the producers. I would meet up with him again when I joined Channel 4 News as a regular freelance producer in 1997. Peter was the deputy editor of Channel 4 News.

Peter is the editors' editor with a deep insight into the new world of Net and TV, so what he has to say has true value.

In weeks to come I'm looking forward to a lengthier interview - which we've talked about.

Trust in the Media, US

Two years ago I was invited as part of a panel to San Antonio to also look at this issue of Trust. The full report can be found here: Trust in the Media

Newsnight Interview

A rare interview with the editor of BBC Newsnight, Peter Barron, who counts within the BBC as one of the more progressive television 2.0 bods, and that's according to senior figures within the BBC.
I hadn't intended the interview. I was showing Peter the gear to report digital broadcast stuff and how the next generation of journalists will really be IM6VJs ( interactive multimedia video journalists)
So as we finished talking and he was in a rush to another interview, I asked him a few questions. Now that's one of the pluses of carrying a small digi-camera, the A1 in your bag.
Sadly, I didn't have my tie mic with me and so the sound is a bit ropey, but I think the piece gets by with it.
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