Reviewing the Sunday Papers with Dr John Jewell

Posted by Dr John Jewell

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being newspaper reviewer on BBC Radio Wales’ ‘Sunday Supplement’ presented by Vaughan Roderick. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b036w2zb – (from 48 mins and 15 seconds) Along with Dafydd Trystan, Treasurer of Plaid Cymru, I ran a critical eye (I hope it was critical, anyway) over a number of stories which made the Sunday papers.

It something I have had the privilege of doing on few occasions in the past and I was aware yesterday morning that I had to ‘lighten up’ a little. What I mean is this – the last time I was on I left the studio dripping in misery and despondency. The stories I’d highlighted were of famine, disease and death as I recall. Proper stuff, to be sure, but hardly the tonic to make you leap out bed on a fine summer morning eager to meet the world.

Anyway, we discussed, amongst other things, hypnotist Paul Mckenna’s offer in the Sunday Mirror to make us all slim for the beach in 7 days, the possible state of Wales in a 100 years’ time as reported by the Wales on Sunday and the continuing, unrelenting commitment of the Express group of newspapers to put stories about Madeleine McCann, the royal family and cancer scares on its front pages. Every single day.

But it was the weekly edition of the Brecon and Radnor Express which most impressed. I first came across the paper at least 25 years ago when I was captivated by a story which told of outrage after a pair of garden shears were stolen from a graveyard cemetery. And here it was a quarter of a century later reporting on local issues with the same diligence. I’m not belittling the paper at all, by the way. It was packed full of local interest items and narratives of compassion and community spirit. It is clearly put together with great care and skill.

So I left Radio Wales yesterday as a cheery soul with a great feeling about local Welsh journalism.