Heavyweight correspondents respond to listener criticism
This week, programmes from two heavyweight correspondents come under scrutiny from alert and combative listeners.
First up: John Sweeney's provocative exploration of Western intellectual apologists for tyrannical regimes in a two-part series called "Useful Idiots" (the phrase used for the title is attributed to Lenin).
Amongst other examples, John Sweeney (pictured) focuses on the unquestioning belief of people like Beatrice and Sydney Webb, and Doris Lessing, in Stalin's brutal route to a "Communist Utopia", before, in the second programme, analysing Tony Benn's description of Chairman Mao as "a great figure", and the role of George Galloway and Yvonne Ridley as employees of .
Listeners Merrilee Prior and Saeed Vahid - both coincidentally from Canada - took exception to John Sweeney's theses for different reasons - and as you'll hear in the programme this weekend, gang up on him to make him defend his views.
I hope you'll agree the effect is entertaining as well as enlightening.
Merrilee is not happy about the term "idiots" for people who may just have a different view from the majority - and, for that matter, from John Sweeney, whilst Saeed feels the programme lacks balance. To his mind more examples of intellectuals supporting atrocities committed by Western regimes were needed. Make your own mind up on how well John defends his thesis by listening to the lively discussion on Over To You.
Meanwhile another listener takes Allan Little to task for not providing enough context in his piece in last week's From Our Own Correspondent about the shrine in Medjugorje in Croatia, to which thousands of Catholics go on pilgrimage every year.
Basically there is much dispute in the Catholic Church as to whether the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, first witnessed by some children in 1981, have credibility.
Januaress Makau from Kenya argues in his email that as a senior and trusted news correspondent for the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú, Allan Little is failing in his duty by not mentioning the controversy.
Allan for his part argues that FOOC is a chance for reporters to go "off agenda" and give more personal accounts; that his piece was much more about how Medjugorje is now an "ecclesiastical boomtown "; and moreover what is going on there is more about an expression of national sentiment than anything else for the townspeople.
Finally on this week's Over To You a unique World Service Trust radio project in conjunction with Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Urdu and Internews, an international media development organisation, to provide information as aid to the millions of people affected by the monsoon floods in Pakistan.
34 local stations are taking three programmes a day in both Pashto and Urdu.
The result is not only a vehicle for passing on news about available clean water supplies, food and medicine but also a fascinating sounding board for people's complaints, comments and worries on the ground.
It is taking the concept of "lifeline" broadcasting to the next stage, say those in charge. It will be interesting to hear in due course whether the people they are being broadcast to find them useful.
Rajan Datar is the Presenter, Over To You
Over To You is your chance to have your say about the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).
- 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
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