Chris Mason now faces the toughest mission in television news, having been named the BBC’s New Political Editor at the end of a chaotic recruitment process. The presenter of Any Questions, who has been reporting on politics for a decade, beat his colleague Adam Fleming for the role after the BBC rejected a list of all women and returned to the draw. Officials said the appointment of state-educated Mason, 41, whose accent proudly reflects on his upbringing in Yorkshire Dales to replace Laura Kuenssberg, was a victory for “diversity”. Culture Minister Nadine Dorries told the BBC to redouble its efforts to recruit and promote talent with local voices and offer more prospects outside London. Mason, who initially declined to apply for the role, saying he wanted to continue presenting Any Questions on Radio 4, is a figure outside the Westminster bubble, capable of explaining complex policy issues to viewers. The bosses were desperate not to lose the broadcaster, which has been offered opportunities by commercial rivals, including Times Radio. A popular choice among colleagues, a doubt for Mason is whether the broadcaster is “too good” to handle allegations of bias and social media abuse that now surround a job that gives the holder enormous influence on how the nation understands the Westminster events. See more Hi Alex, I know how much you like your retweets. But you would not be surprised if you went out more and turned off Twitter. Among the dozens I spoke to, the duration of the Conservative government — and the cuts in previous years — mentioned earlier in the same report is not…. – Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) May 12, 2021 Although he was not noted as an “accumulator”, one of the criteria for the role, Mason’s skills as a communicator, who can attract viewers to Red Wall’s cities and areas of Westminster’s machinations, eventually exceeded these requirements. Insiders say the BBC wants to market Mason as a “news personality”, similar to Robert Peston who became a cult figure for his stalled voice. A “political anorak” with an emphasis on Yorkshire, Mason will bring his “unique show style” to the role, the BBC said. He will take the role after the local elections in May and will leave Any Questions in the summer. The new political writer will receive a significant salary increase. Mason did not appear in the latest list of BBC stars earning more than 150 150,000 and revealed that his salary as a political reporter a few years ago was .000 60,000. Kuensberg won at least 26 260,000 for the lead role. Executives expanded the search beyond two selected candidates – Anushka Asthana, deputy political editor of ITV News, and Sophy Ridge, Sky News’s Sunday political interview. Mason had an advantage over the two – “Apart from a brief flirtation with wanting to be a bus driver, I just wanted to be a reporter,” he said. Where Ridge was considered more of a presenter, Mason’s passion for reporting will fuel many days and nights on Downing Street, analyzing the latest upheavals and twists and turns for various BBC television and radio shows. Although Mason never betrayed his personal views, the talk show host Brexitcast tried to explain why voters chose to leave the EU and interviewed former Hartlepool Labor voters about why they turned themselves in to the Tories last year. elections. It was a social media critic who accused Mason of favoring anti-labor voices, to which he replied: “You would not be surprised if you went out more and turned off Twitter.” Mason became a favorite with viewers when, fighting for the latest Brexit coup, he once admitted that he did not have the most “foggy” and advised: “I think you could also bring back Mr. Blobby to offer his analysis.” Mr Blobby is probably on the list of those who have turned down the job, and it is now up to Mason to guide a divided BBC political audience through the political fog. Mason said: “What a tremendous privilege to take on what, to me, is the most excellent job in British radio and television.” “I climb on the shoulders of giants like Laura, Nick and Andrew with a sense of horror and a lot of excitement and excitement. Leading the best team of journalists in the business to the best news coverage of the batch is something I would never even dare to dream of. I look forward to starting. ” Jonathan Munro, interim director of BBC News, said of Mason: “His ambition and vision for the role of Political Author are really exciting and I wish him every success in his new position.”
BBC controversy over vacancy that no one wanted to fill
Five months after Laura Kuensberg announced she was stepping down as political editor, the BBC said she was “delighted” to finally be paid a role that no one seemed to want. The BBC’s thwarted attempt to chase an outside candidate for something that would once be a plum, in the midst of a process described as “farce” by the candidates, has only added to the current internal turmoil of the broadcaster. Kuenssberg’s successor had to show an indisputable history of political impartiality, an impressive history, a willingness to work on the ground and to withstand the efforts of political doctors to influence their reports. In-house candidates, including Deputy Political Writer Vicki Young and Mason himself, competed to exclude themselves from a job that now brings intensive scrutiny, long hours, social media abuse and allegations of bias on all sides. Original pioneer Jon Sopel resigned, along with Emily Maitlis, driven by the wealth offered by commercial audio rival Global, who had recently bought a similar podcast and LBC deal from Andrew Marr. Secured by ITV and the print media through Partygate, the bosses set out to steal a large beast from a commercial rival. Potential candidates used interest as a lever to secure enhanced roles from their employers. Sky News political editor Beth Rigby has won a new interview show on primetime, while ITV News UK editor Paul Brand, who first revealed Boris Johnson’s lockdown party, has been announced as the new host of the show. Tonight network news. Faced with a two-year freeze on leave fees, the BBC has not been able to significantly increase its μισ 260,000 role salary. The News department, fearing further cuts, is still awaiting the arrival of new CEO Deborah Turness, who has been hired on her contract by current ITN employers. An exclusive list of women has been compiled with Anushka Asthana, deputy political editor of ITV News, Sophy Ridge, Sunday News’s Sunday political interview and Pippa Crerar of the Daily Mirror. But those names did not go through and Mason prevailed to reapply, eventually accepting the position after being preferred by the chief political correspondent Adam Fleming.
