Journalism Programmes

1. White Fright SINGLE PROG. TX: 06/072018 Dur: 29’38” Broadcaster: The Guardian Production Company: The Guardian

In 2015, the community of Islamberg discovered that a Tennessee minister was plotting the deadliest attack on US soil since 9/11 against their village. Why have Americans heard nothing about him, and why has the safety of this community been ignored?

On 10 April 2015, the FBI quietly arrested Robert Doggart, a white, 63-year-old Christian minister, after they discovered he was plotting an attack against Islamberg, a small African American Muslim community in upstate New York. Inspired by claims on Fox News that the community was a terrorist training camp, Doggart discussed firebombing a mosque and a school in the village, and using assault rifles and a machete to murder the residents.

No terrorism charges were brought against Doggart. No national news outlets covered his arrest, and one month after he was taken into custody, a judge released him on bail. As Doggart's case went before an all-white jury, White Fright examined the US’s inconsistent system of national security, the media’s role in exacerbating terrorist threats, and the failure to protect vulnerable communities from racist attacks.

2. Gangs, Drill & Prayer SINGLE PROG. TX: 14/05/18 Dur: 42’00” Broadcaster: BBC iPlayer / 1Xtra Youtube Production Company: BBC

How young Christians are using rap & drill music to lure gang members away from streets & towards God.

We join Enrique on his extraordinary journey from south London gangster rapper, to Pastor at just 21 years old. We meet the artists whose music is reaching out to youths & inspiring change, artists like Hope Dealers, who spit holy bars over the hardest of beats, drill.

These movements, however, do not come without controversy; wearing balaclavas in church, accusations of being a cult & the large sums of money involved, have prompted some to question their holy intentions.

3. The Climate and the Cross SINGLE PROG. TX: 20/04/2018 Dur: 23’01” Broadcaster: The Guardian Production Company: The Guardian

An internal battle is simmering among US Christians over whether climate change is a call to protect the Earth, the work of God to be welcomed, or does not exist at all.

Evangelicals have traditionally been the bedrock of conservative politics in the US, including on climate change. But a heated debate is taking pace across the country, with some Christians protesting in the name of protecting the Earth, seeing it as a duty to be done in God's name. One group has even built a chapel in the way of a pipeline and a radical pastor has encouraged his congregation to put themselves in the way of the diggers. Meanwhile, a firm supporter of Donald Trump criss-crosses the country promoting solar power.

But there is still the traditional resistance – a climate scientist who denies the world is warming and a preacher in Florida who sees the fact he was flooded as a good sign of divine presence. With stories from across the country featuring pastors and churchgoers, and showing conflict between generations, races and classes, could it be a surprising section of Christian Americans who could provide hope for the country's attitude to climate change?

4. Mountain of Fire and Miracles SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 22/03/2018 Dur: 25’38” Broadcaster: Game of Our Lives podcast Production Company: Al Jazeera / Jetty Studios

Episode description: One of the top teams in Nigeria is Mountain of Fire and Miracles FC, a Pentecostal club in Lagos. It’s a team that provides stability for its players within the fraught world of Nigerian domestic football — and also represents the country on the global stage. “Someone is sick, we all pray and fast,” says church sporting director Godwin Enakhena. “There is a deal that’s coming, we fast and pray about it, and say ‘God help this young man get this deal.’”

On this episode, Enakhena and David Goldblatt discuss his team’s remarkable rise from amateur youth club to elite team, the challenges facing Nigerian domestic clubs, and the rules that keep MFM FC on track.

Show description: Game of Our Lives is a podcast about understanding the world through its most popular sport: football. Host David Goldblatt welcomes a diverse range of guests for conversations about politics, culture, economics, immigration, religion, cinema—and of course, some all-time favorite goals.

Host bio: David Goldblatt is a sociologist, journalist, and author. He is best known for his books The Game of Our Lives: The Meaning and Making of English Football and The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football, a definitive social, political, and sporting history of the global game.

5. Playing the Game, Wearing Hijab SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 29/03/2018 Dur: 25’36” Broadcaster: Game of Our Lives podcast Production Company: Al Jazeera / Jetty Studios

Episode description: All Shireen Ahmed wanted to do was play — but college officials kept her off the pitch because she wanted to wear her headscarf, or hijab. On this episode of Game of Our Lives, the player, advocate, and coach talks about her fight to get back on the field, what football means in the global South, and the day FIFA lifted its ban on religious head covers.

6. Crossing Continents: Shades of Jewish in Israel SINGLE PROG. TX: 17/05/2018 Dur: 27’43” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Radio Current Affairs

Israel gives all Jews the right to citizenship - but has it become less welcoming to African Jews?

Since its founding in 1948, after the horrors of the Holocaust, Israel has seen itself as a safe haven for Jews from anywhere in the world to come to escape persecution. But now that policy is under threat. As Jewish communities in Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya are finding, a debate has arisen about who is "Jewish enough" to qualify. David Baker investigates claims that decisions are being made not on the basis of ancestry or religious observance but on the colour of people's skin.

Producer: Simon Maybin Presenter: David Baker

7. An Irish Solution – a Would You Believe? SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 17/05/2018 Dur: 54’20” Broadcaster: RTÉ One Production Company: RTÉ

Programme Synopsis (300 words max) In May 2018, the Irish Government called a referendum that went to the heart of the often conflicting ethical values underpinning that society. The 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution gave equal status to the lives of the unborn and the women who bear them, effectively outlawing abortion, unless the mother's life was itself demonstrably endangered. As a consequence, 3000 Irish women each year were choosing to travel abroad for abortions; others were procuring abortion drugs illegally and unsafely online. The Government promised to legislate for abortion, but had, first, to secure a popular mandate to repeal the 8th Amendment.

A week before the referendum, RTÉ's longest-running and much respected documentary series, Would You Believe?, aired a special programme, exploring what was at stake in the referendum and what moral considerations might influence its outcome. With remarkable sensitivity, clear- sightedness and journalistic rigour, award-winning Reporter Mick Peelo and Producer/Director Birthe Tonseth captured views and opinions from right across the spectrum. They looked beyond the hysteria of black-and-white slogans and posters and persuaded people on all sides of the debate to explore the moral grey areas, sharing with remarkable courage and candour their personal stories and the principles behind the noisy public lobbies. Uniquely, the documentary earned praise from all sides for the fairness and clarity with which it informed a vote that was, for everyone in Ireland, literally, a matter of life and death.

8. The Economist asks: Bishop Michael Curry SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 27/09/2018 Dur: 22’34” Broadcaster: The Economist Production Company: The Economist Radio podcasts

In this programme, Anne McElvoy, our host, interviewed the Most Rev. Michael Curry, the first black presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church about the invitation to speak at the Royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and the response to his sermon in St George’s Chapel in Windsor and around the world. Bishop Curry explains what a silent ‘Amen’, with the eyes, looks like. Will he be invited back for a Royal baptism? They also discussed his views on the role of religion in a divided America and the split between the Episcopal and Anglican church over same-sex marriage. Anne asks Bishop Curry whether President Donald Trump acts in good faith and how effective Curry’s prayer vigils were. Anne and Bishop Curry met face to face in New York where she asked challenging questions - would Bishop Curry pray for a different outcome in the next US Election - and Bishop Curry implored Anne to ‘stay with me sister!’.

The Economist asks is our flagship interview show, published every Thursday, which features a 20-30 minute conversation with a high profile guest - including Alan Greenspan, General McChrystal, Francis Fukuyama, Tony Blair, Madeleine Albright, James Comey, Kai Fu Lee, Sarah Rafferty and Hillary Clinton. Economist Radio has over 6.5 million listens a month around the world, predominantly in the U.S.

9. The Dawn of British Jihad SINGLE PROG. TX: 09/01/2018 Dur: 36’47” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Radio Current Affairs

Programme Synopsis (300 words max) Before 9/11 British attitudes to partaking in faith-inspired armed combat were… different.

As early as the 1980s, British Muslims travelled freely to fight for a few weeks or months in Afghanistan - and later in Bosnia and Kashmir - before returning home to their day jobs, few questions asked.

In this programme, Mobeen Azhar reveals deeply personal stories told by people involved in this early wave of ‘British Jihad’ and how nascent British Islamic youth groups toured the UK providing spiritual justification for hundreds of young Brits who went to fight overseas.

At this time, Britain was rich territory for militant leaders from Pakistan and elsewhere to come and raise funds and recruit without retribution. The programme exclusively reveals details of these visits, discovered in an archive of Jihadi publications. Travel diaries report the British towns visited and the rapturous reception these leaders received - among them Hafiz Saeed, leader of Lashka-e-Taiba, the terrorist group behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Many of the British 'pioneers' of Jihad came from Britain’s Salafi community – followers of a literal interpretation of Islam. Since 9/11 the Salafis have often been named as key influencers in the global jihad - but is that accurate?

The programme also explains how, even during this early wave of Brits fighting Jihad, the idea of taking up arms was hugely divisive within Britain’s Salafi community, creating a schism between those who chose to fight and a majority which rejects violence.

In turn, this led to regret and redemption among those militant leaders who led the way during the dawn of British Jihad. Those men once key in recruiting fighters in the 80s and 90s, are today among the most prominent and outspoken voices trying to stop other Britons from following in their footsteps.

Producers: Richard Fenton-Smith & Sajid Iqbal

10. Rev Sekou – Preacher, Theologian, Activist and Musician SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 05/02/2018 Dur: 22’17” Broadcaster: Premier Christian Radio Production Company: Premier Christian Radio

Muyiwa chats with Rev. Sekou, an American singer-songwriter turned theologian, activist, author and documentary maker.

In this intimate and earthly conversation, the pair discuss his album “In Times Like These” which features the six-time Grammy nominated North Mississippi Allstars, some of the activism work that Sekou has been a part of in the UK and America, as well as talking about the roots of his faith and drive to continue with making a difference.

11. Stryper – Michael Sweet Talks About New Album ‘God Damn Evil’ And Not Fitting In SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 09/04/2018 Dur: 17’38” Broadcaster: Premier Christian Radio Production Company: Premier Christian Radio

Lead singer of the metal and heavy rock band Stryper – Michael Sweet, talks about the bands new album 'God Damn Evil', as well as sharing how the band have struggled to find their place in the Christian and secular music scenes, despite having years and years of success, as well as his own faith journey.

This interview also appeared in Christianity Magazine. (https://www.premierchristianity.com/Blog/Meet-the-Christian-band-shunned-by-the-Church-but- loved-by-Satanists)

12. Paul Calvert – Life In Jerusalem SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 30/05/2018 Dur: 21’22” Broadcaster: Premier Christian Radio Production Company: Premier Christian Radio

Life in Jerusalem can be some what challenging. Paul Calvert moved there from the UK more than 15 years ago and has witnessed everything from bombs to the amazing coming together of people through faith.

Paul joins Loretta to chat about the various anniversaries in 2018 that are taking place in Israel, and of course the movement of the US Embassy.

13. File on 4: The Unorthodox Life of Miriam SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 06/11/2018 Dur: 36’34” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Radio Current Affairs

This File on 4 investigation prompted official investigations by the Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC and the Charity Commission. The Unorthodox Life of Miriam uncovered allegations of widespread illegality in a community acting under cover of religious devotion. Reporter Melanie Abbott took care to explain the extent to which faith might provide justification for individual wrong- doing and found some of the very small number of brave people prepared to criticise the lifestyle and some aspects of the belief system of Hasidic Jews.

Central to the story was Miriam herself. A feisty, independent-thinking woman, she was ready to challenge the orthodoxy of Stamford Hill, but it remained a task for Melanie to win her trust, so she felt comfortable revealing complex financial arrangements, as well as personal details about her life. In the end she gave three separate interviews covering various aspects of the complex story. Producer Anna Meisel took great care to protect the identity of innocent individuals – Miriam’s children were the subject of Family Court proceedings – which placed restrictions on what we could broadcast about them. She also used considerable investigative skills to draw a line between expensive but poor housing in different parts of London, back to prominent residents of Stamford Hill.

Ultimately, the programme substantiated a direct link between the requirement that men should devote their lives to religious study and the financial fraud which helped facilitate this lifestyle – hence the three official enquiries. Secret recording showed an official, publicly funded, Charity Commission regulated organisation helping individuals to make false benefit claims.

14. Trump's Evangelicals SINGLE PROG. TX: 22/07/2018 Dur: 27’32” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Radio 4 Religion

American Presidents have always “done God;” they’ve all gone to church before taking the oath of office, they’ve all had their religious advisers. President Trump, some might say, has done God in his own life less than most and yet the relationship he has with White Evangelical Christians is changing the way politics is being done. What are the limits of their support? And how will changing demographics affect the influence they wield?

In this documentary the BBC’s White House reporter, Tara McKelvey, speaks to the Evangelicals who get up-close and personal to the President, including his spiritual adviser Paula White and Jerry Falwell Junior. She finds that Evangelical lobbyists get an unprecedented degree of access to White House staff. But this is not a cynical ploy by the President to win evangelical votes, although he asks for them. It is because the agenda of the administration and the agenda of Conservative White Evangelicals is one and the same.

Although seemingly invincible now, the pollster and researcher Robert Jones describes for McKelvey a fearful constituency who know that their influence is about to decline. Demographics will loosen the Evangelicals hold on power; if there is a freneticism about their programme for reform that is why.

This is a gripping documentary, aimed at a general Radio 4 audience. They will have heard many times that the President enjoys Evangelical support, but few journalists have understood and unpacked the phenomenon for them in the way McKelvey does. By gaining rare access to people and places she delivers a considered and nuanced picture of this momentous and fascinating time in American politics. That is why we consider the programme worthy of the first Sandford St Martin’s Journalism Award.

Trump’s Evangelicals was produced by Rosie Dawson.

15. Life Issues SINGLE PROG. TX: 02/07/2018 Dur: 41’44” Broadcaster: United Christian Broadcasters / UCB 1 /ucb.co.uk / DAB & online Production Company: United Christian Broadcasters (UCB)

More children are being diagnosed with life-shortening conditions in the UK, yet medical research and advancements in treatment are enabling many of these young people to live into adulthood. However, there’s limited state funding for children’s palliative care providers and service availability’s patchy across the country. This year the UK’s largest children’s hospice charity- Acorns- has been marking its 30th anniversary. In ‘Life Issues’, which is part of the news and current affairs show, Vicky Gibbens, a UCB Presenter & Senior Broadcast Journalist for the News Team, visited the charity’s Black Country centre in Walsall to meet parents Jess and Andy who use the specialist care for their 7 year old son Charlie, as well as Father Mark McIntyre whose church, St Gabriel’s, is the hospices nearest neighbour. Vicky also interviewed the charity’s volunteer manager, who is a Christian, Carl Cadman and family team worker, Julie Tibbets, at UCB’s Broadcast Centre.

16. BBC Radio Manchester; Interview with Dr Nasser Kurdy SINGLE PROG. TX: 16/09/2018 Dur: 18’22” Broadcaster: BBC Radio Manchester Production Company: BBC Radio Manchester

Dr Nasser Kurdy from Hale was stabbed on his way to his mosque last year.

In August 2018, 29 year old Ian Rooke was sentenced to five years and four months in prison after admitting wounding with intent and possessing an offensive weapon, but being cleared of attempted murder.

In an impact statement read out in court ahead of the sentencing Mr Kurdy said: "The stabbing has had an unbelievable positive impact on me. "I am a much better person for having gone through this ordeal. "I feel that my forgiveness has touched many people positively."

In a 2 part interview with Dr Kurdy, BBC Radio Manchester’s Sunday Breakfast presenter, Mike Shaft hears how this ordeal has changed Nasser’s life, and how his faith and family have supported him through his journey of forgiveness. His candid interview shares details of that fateful day, his wife’s response to God’s mercy in the incident and he shares with Mike the verses from the Qu’ran that now make sense to him after the stabbing.

17. The Pledge, Sky News: Maajid Nawaz: ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 15/03/2018 Dur: 09’00” Broadcaster: Sky News Production Company: The Pledge

‘The Pledge’ is a unique programme on British television – committed to free speech, hard-hitting opinion and common sense, the panellists go head to head each week debating a topic of their choice. Anti-extremism campaigner and broadcaster Maajid Nawaz’s debate in March 2018 on the deplorable ‘Punish a Muslim’ leaflets was compelling and divisive. Maajid argues that language used by some sections of the British media allows people to think aggressive and threatening behaviour towards specific groups or religions is acceptable in the UK today. He begins by providing context to the viewers about the letter, which allocated points for different tasks, such as pulling off a woman’s headscarf, or bombing a Mosque. He also explains that suspect packages were sent to four Muslim Members of Parliament at the same time the letters were published. Starting the debate, journalist Carole Malone takes issue with the focus being on language used in the media, instead blaming radical preachers and others who deliberately incite hatred as creating an atmosphere in which hate and violence can flourish. While everyone on the panel unanimously condemns the letter, the nuance of the debate is fascinating – who is to blame for the increasingly hate-fuelled atmosphere that can be seen to surround religion today? How can we address it, and what can be done to promote tolerance and understanding between communities? These are questions the panel address not only during this debate, but that come up time and again during different topics on ‘The Pledge’. There is no single answer, but discussions such as this bring these questions into the mainstream and allow viewers to engage in finding solutions and ways to address such unacceptable behaviour. Also taking part were the LBC presenter Nick Ferrari, Guardian columnist and author Afua Hirsch, and journalist Rachel Johnson.

18. BBC Inside Out North West – The Church That Changed: Lizzie’s Legacy SINGLE PROG TX: 24/09/2018 Dur: 09’23” Broadcaster: BBC One North West Production Company: BBC Inside Out North West

In September 2014, Lizzie Lowe took her own life in Manchester. She was just 14. Lizzie was a committed Christian - who also believed she was gay. She didn't believe her church would accept her as both. Her death attracted international coverage, prompting theological debate across the Church of England, and huge change in Lizzie's own church.

In this investigation for BBC Inside Out North West, Lizzie's parents talk about their daughter and her legacy for the first time - a world exclusive - and Lizzie's church opens its doors to the BBC's Abbie Jones to explain why it felt it had to change, and the repercussions that change has brought.

St James and Emmanuel has committed itself to "inclusion" - accepting everyone regardless of race, gender, disability or sexuality. In 2018 it even staged an LBGT Pride event, and has formed with other Manchester churches to become the first inclusive Deanery in the UK. But its stance on the hugely controversial subject of sexuality has attracted theological criticism, social media abuse and resulted in the exodus of 25 members of the congregation.

The film "trended" on twitter on the day it was broadcast. It has been sent out to churches by the Manchester Diocese across the Church of England requesting it as an aid to further discussion on sexuality.

The issue of sexuality - and inclusion - is hugely divisive in the Church of England, and this was an incredibly difficult film to make, both editorially and in terms of getting people to open up. Negotiating the interviews and access took months of work. It talks to parishioners who have struggled to accept the church's new direction on sexuality as well as those who are gay and feel they have a new, accepting, home.

19. Liberty Farm SINGLE PROG TX: 16/09/2018 Dur: 2 Hours Broadcaster: BBC Radio Stoke Production Company: BBC Radio Stoke

This idea behind this programme was to give airtime to unheard voices, to break down prejudice, to show that redemption can come in the most unlikely places and that everyone deserves a second chance. The stories shed light on the people who make the news for the wrong reasons but who want to change their ways, through their faith, and to better themselves in the eyes of their community.

Liberty Farm is run by Walk Ministries. It is a place where men can re-start their journey in an environment that promotes healing, wholeness and growth. Most of the men who stay at Liberty Farm have spent time behind bars. At the farm it doesn't matter what he has done in his past. The ethos is that Jesus has a path for him to walk into a future of meaning and merit.

Sunday Breakfast with Tim Wedgwood spent a morning with the men to hear their story, without glorifying their previous convictions, to see how their transformation from bad to good is going. Many of these men have found faith in prison but find their re-introduction into society very difficult, with nowhere to live or a support network to help them move forward.

We hear from the men who feel they don't fit in when they come out of prison. By spending time on the farm the listener gets a better understanding of their prior difficulties, of a life of substance abuse, crime, family breakdown and the faith they've found to help them turn their lives around.

And we hear from one of the men who, despite a lack of faith, has taken the Walk (as its known), and now has a relationship with his family again and is also in full-time work and part of society again.

20. The Grenfell Wall SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 04/06/2018 Dur: 35’51” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC

The Grenfell Wall sprang up overnight.

Within hours, hundreds of people had left messages of sympathy and support. Relatives of those missing brought favourite items, teddies and photos.

Missing posters were plastered everywhere, bearing the faces of those still unaccounted for and telephone numbers for anyone who might have information.

The wall is still there today in the shadow of the tower and provides a glimpse into the terrors that unfolded on 14 June 2017. This series was recorded over a year with some of those whose lives were affected by the Grenfell fire, including families caught in the blaze and people working alongside them to provide support and help.

The recordings were broadcast over a week on Radio 4 and some were played at the St Paul’s Memorial Service, which was attended by more than 1,500 guests, including families, volunteers and emergency services. The close bonds established helped us guide the BBC Live Events team and the audio played during the service was a powerful way to give the victims a central voice in this multi- faith service.

This submission is taken from part of the five programme series, which was recorded sensitively and relied on close relationships established over time with church leaders, community organisations and families and relatives. Alongside the programmes there was an interactive site, The Grenfell Wall, that we put together using additional recorded material, photos, written accounts and the broadcasts themselves.

21. Syria: The World's War, Episode 1 & 2 SERIES TX: 03/05/2018 Dur: 60'00" Broadcaster: BBC Two Production Company: BBC TV Current Affairs

The most recognizable face reporting from Syria, Lyse Doucet tells the definitive story of the biggest humanitarian crisis of our age. The films aimed to provide multiple perspectives on the conflict and as such featured participants from all sides – from fighters on the ground to Foreign Ministers of the Great Powers. It showed the complexity of the war, as protagonists explained why they joined the conflict to fight for or against Assad. Starting from the first days of protest, Syria - The World’s War charts a terrifying spiral into chaos. It tracks the stories of those who started as protesters and ended up as fighters, in some cases, even as an assassin for ISIS. Through its stellar cast of politicians, the film also reveals the abject failure of Western powers to influence events and the extraordinary resilience of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad. But above all, it tells the story of the unimaginable human suffering of ordinary Syrians from every side of the conflict.

22. Egypt Church Bombings: One Year On SINGLE PROG TX: 09/04/2018 Dur: 28’55” Broadcaster: Premier Christian Radio Production Company: Premier Christian Radio

Christians in Egypt were left devastated in April 2017 when twin suicide bomb attacks at St George's Church in Egypt's northern city of Tanta and St Mark's Coptic Church in Cairo left 45 people dead and 126 injured.

One year on from the Palm Sunday bombings in Egypt, journalist Eno Adeogun visited the country to find out how Christians were recovering and whether they still feel targeted.

The documentary tells personal stories of those who have suffered but offers glimmers of hope in the midst of darkness.

The ease of being a Christian in the West can easily be taken for granted so one of the aims of the documentary was to remind listeners that there are people whose lives are threatened because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

There are people that need our prayers. Most importantly, it served to remind people we should live a life of gratitude – thankful to God that we live in a society where we can freely follow Christ.

The unwavering faith of a survivor despite losing her husband and unborn child, a Coptic priest forgiving the perpetrator of the atrocity and many other stories from survivors was too inspiring, heart-breaking and extraordinary to simply share online. These were stories that needed to be heard in the victim’s own voices. This documentary shared not only their stories but the overwhelming peace the love of God can bring.

23. News Hour – Billy Graham death announcement SINGLE PROG TX: 21/02/2018 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: Premier Christian Radio Production Company: Premier Christian Radio

Through it's news content, Premier aims to provide a different perspective to any other found across UK media.

We want to enable Christians to be informed about what's going on across the world, but also to know how to prayinto these events.

The News Hour is our flagship news programme, airing daily from 1 till 2. It takes the big issues of the day and speaks to relevant contributors who give a different insight to that found on BBC, Sky or other platforms.

Through the News Hour we are able to respond to breaking news stories - just like we did in this entry to the passing of evangelist Billy Graham.

The entry shows the news team at its best - being able to respond instantly to a story, changing the tone of the show,lining up new guests and playing out pre-recorded features.

Billy Graham is perhaps the most famous preacher of our day so it was vitally important we were able to bring the news of his death to our audience in a sensitive and respectful way.

The news breaks at 00:23:54, the presenter Alex Williams was able to announce the news mid show, while a guest was literally waiting to talk about a separate story.

Acting spontaneously, Alex was able to draw out reaction before the team were able to discuss a quick turnaround. The music of the show changes, an obit feature is played before two guests join on the phone to give personal experiences of Graham.

24. A Church in Crisis SINGLE PROG TX: 16/05/2018 Dur: 27’44” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Religion and Ethics

Since Ireland's independence, the Catholic Church has played a pre-eminent role in defining morality south of the border. However in recent decades, its position as moral arbiter has come under attack. Congregation sizes have fallen dramatically, sex abuse scandals have tarnished its reputation and constitutional referenda have legalised contraception, divorce and gay marriage despite vehement opposition from the Catholic Church.

In May 2018 Ireland decided to go to the polls to vote on the most contentious of issues – abortion. The Catholic Church was hoping that all Catholics would vote against it but as the referendum campaign went on, the idea that that the yes vote might have a chance of winning started to take hold. But this would require Catholics to vote against the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life, something which many thought was inconceivable. 10 days before the vote when, according to opinion polls the outcome was too close to call, William Crawley presented this documentary for Radio 4. The idea was to put this historic vote in the context of the changing relationship between Church and State and to ask if this vote was a signal of further decline in the Catholic Church's authority in Irish society.

The documentary was broadcast to the general mid-morning audience on Radio 4 audience most of whom would have been aware of the referendum from the news bulletins but not particularly knowledgeable about the teachings of the Catholic Church or the relationship between the Church and State in Ireland.

Presenter: William Crawley Producer: Neil Murrow Editor: Amanda Hancox

25. A Tale of Belief and the Courts SINGLE PROG TX: 05/11/2018 Dur: 27’49” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Religion and Ethics

In the spring of 2018 Britain was gripped by the legal wrangling’s of the tragic case of sick toddler Alfie Evans. Born fit and well, Alfie failed to develop and slowly began to deteriorate. Eventually the doctors decided he was suffering from catastrophic and unexplained brain damage. But what should happen next was fought out in a very public bitter battle in the courts. As all legal avenues were exhausted by Alfie’s parents they dismissed their legal counsel and turned to The Christian Legal Centre for help. But concerns were raised by lawyers and judges about the way this organisation provided legal assistance to the family. One senior judge called for an “investigation of whether… parents who find themselves in these awful circumstances, and are therefore desperate for help, [are] vulnerable to engaging with people whose interests may not in fact assist the parents’ case”. In this documentary the legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg undertook this investigation into the Christian Legal Centre to bring to light who they actually are, their motivations and why they came in for such criticism.

This documentary was broadcast to a mid-morning weekday audience on Radio 4 who would have been aware of the Alfie Evans case through media coverage but would not have known about The Christian Legal Centre or of their involvement in the case. The documentary was challenging to make as The Christian Legal Centre refused to take part and instructed the clients they had represented in faith related cases not to talk to us either.

Presenter: Joshua Rozenberg Researcher: Harry Farley Editor: Amanda Hancox

26. Heart and Soul: Unearthing the Past in Srebrenica SINGLE PROG TX: 27/07/2018 Dur:26’29” Broadcaster: BBC World Service English Production Company: BBC Radio Production North

Sasa was four years old when soldiers drove into his home town of Mostar – his family was a mix of Bosnian Muslim and Serbian Orthodox and the war ripped it apart.

Sitting in the war trials of the former Bosnian leaders, Anna Holligan has listened to many of the details of their terrible acts and she traveled to the scenes of those crimes to meet the Muslim families who are still haunted by the war of 25 years ago and the massacre of thousands in Srebrenica.

On July the 11th every year, the bodies of those who Sasa has helped to identify over the previous 12 months are re-buried in an Islamic ceremony and Anna witnessed that moving service at the sprawling Potocari Cemetery, meeting the families on a pilgrimage to honour the ones they lost.

Anything that can be found is buried, even the smallest bones of beaten and broken bodies, finally enabling tortured relatives to find some peace.

But an estimated 12,000 people of all faiths, Muslims, Christians, and Jews are still missing feared slaughtered and the search for their remains continues.

As she traveled around Bosnia-Herzegovina, Anna found a country officially at peace, but more religiously divided than it was before the war.

27. Heart and Soul: Fighting Prejudice in Eudy’s Name SINGLE PROG TX: 20/07/2018 Dur:26’29” Broadcaster: BBC World Service English Production Company: BBC Radio Production North

A grieving Mother in South Africa and her mission to change views the views of the country’s Christians on homosexuality.

Mally Simelane’s home is in Kwa-Thema, a township near Johannesburg. In 2008 her daughter Eudy was raped and then murdered in a nearby park the killers using the Bible which they say doesn’t allow same sex relationships to justify their actions.

Eudy was gay and Mally isn’t the only grieving mother in Kwa-Thema, other young women have also been murdered here. Audrey Brown met Mally to explore her faith ten years after her daughter was found dead.

Mally is supported by her Pastor Smadz Matsepe, and they both tell Audrey how the strength of the Christian faith is driving them to fight homophobia.

South Africa’s constitution has progressive provisions for homosexuals; it was the first country in Africa to allow same sex marriage. Audrey will ask why, in many parts of the country those rights don’t translate into the real lives of poor women, women who are different, women who are vulnerable.

Kwa-Thema has become the centre of that fight – Audrey meets one of the Pastors preaching against the ‘evils’ of homosexuality.

Eudy was an international footballer, a star of the South African national team, her memorial is graffiti riddled bridge in the park where she was murdered. Mally and her husband visit often and share with Audrey their faith, their heart breaking memories of Eudy and also their differing views on forgiveness for those who killed their daughter just for being gay

28. Why HIV is misunderstood among UK South Asians SINGLE PROG TX: 03/10/2018 Dur:09’50” Broadcaster: BBC Derbyshire/BBC2/bbc.co.uk/tv, radio and online Production Company: BBC Radio

Why HIV is misunderstood among UK South Asians

In many South Asian communities across the UK - 'coming out' is a taboo let alone admitting to having HIV. Those from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan - who might be HIV positive shun testing or medical help because homosexuality is banned in their religion and is taboo in their culture.

Statistics show that HIV rates in the UK are generally going down. They've fallen by a third in the last three years in the white community. But the rate of decline is not as high in the South Asian groups. In fact, some health experts warn the problem could be much worse.

Sexual health experts are worried the number could be increasing due to the reluctance to get tested and experts fear it is stopping those affected from seeking support.

A government-funded project has launched to encourage people in the UK's South Asian communities to get tested for HIV. It's using a Bollywood poster campaign to get more people to come forward for testing.

Shabnam Mahmood has spoken to one Muslim man living with HIV. Here's her report for the Victoria Derbyshire programme and BBC Asian Network.

29. Myanmar's Killing Fields SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 14/05/2018 Dur: 50’00” Broadcaster: Channel4 / PBS Production Company: Evan Williams Productions with Mongoose Pictures for Channel 4 Dispatches & PBS Frontline

With unique access to hundreds of videos secretly shot by Rohingya citizen journalists, the first broadcast access to members of that network and searing survivor testimony, we were the first TV Current Affairs documentary to prove the attacks against Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya population were a pre-planned, systematic campaign of violence by the Myanmar military to force the Rohingya as a people from Myanmar.

Through key insider interviews we also went further to reveal what role the nation’s de facto leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi played in this campaign.

We were the first and only TV Current Affairs film to pull together video evidence of the military’s campaign of violence against the Rohingya and survivor testimony with the big politics of what a former international human rights icon had actually been thinking and doing. We created a chronological narrative that revealed a news catalogue of horrors.

We proved that months before the August 2017 attacks, Suu Kyi had prevented UN investigators from entering the country, had refused senior UN officials access to the region and actively sided with the military on this issue all along.

We then spent weeks tracking down survivors seen in the videos we’d obtained to gain an irrefutable account of the military’s co-ordinated campaign of extreme violence to drive 700,000 Rohingyas from their homes and their country and painstakingly cross-checked these accounts with human rights investigators and other sources.

All the film’s major revelations were supported and amplified by the recent UN Fact Finding Mission’s interim report issued on August 24 that found Myanmar’s military leadership should be prosecuted for genocide and that Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government committed acts that contributed to atrocity crimes.

30. Mothers against radicalisation SINGLE PROG. TX: 19/12/2018 Dur: 03’15” Broadcaster: BBC One O’Clock News Production Company: BBC

The mothers learning the signs of radicalisation

A new scheme, funded by the government's counter-terrorism Prevent programme, is teaching mothers how to spot signs of both far right and Islamist radicalisation to help them safeguard their children.

Those attending volunteer to do so - they have not been referred and it is not in response to any particular threat.

The terror attacks of 2017 - in which 36 people were killed - brought renewed focus on the causes of radicalisation

The Manchester Arena, London Bridge and Westminster Bridge attacks were all carried out by those with extreme Islamist views.

And - there were at least 12 far right terror attacks last year - the most high profile on Muslims in Finsbury Park which killed one and injured dozens.

One of the key elements of the government's fight against terror is the Prevent programme. It is designed to support people at risk of joining extremist groups and carrying out terrorist activities.

It uses early intervention through community and religious groups to safeguard vulnerable individuals, some of whom get referred by teachers, health workers, community leaders and even parents.

But it's not without controversy .... with some claiming it unfairly targets Muslims. Shabnam Mahmood has this report from Bradford.

31. Sunday Breakfast with Jon Wright (BBC Radio Suffolk) SINGLE PROG. TX: 11/03/2018 Dur: 09’00” Broadcaster: BBC Radio Suffolk Production Company: BBC Radio Suffolk

I produced and presented the Sunday faith and ethics programme for three years at BBC Radio Suffolk, including coverage and scrutiny of the Church of England locally.

This example was a sensitive issue, and required a diplomatic approach over the time from arrest to trial. I was able to record interviews with those in the parish affected and supply our main news desk with material and advice as it went on.

It was, however, something the Church was keen to manage discreetly, and despite assurances they would keep communication open, I found that not to be the case. I was alerted through a contact to the eventual outcome and my requests to interview the Bishop were stonewalled and turned down. Eventually I secured an interview with the diocesan officer for safeguarding.

This was an exclusive for the programme was followed up in the local and some national newspapers the next day.

I feel the role of BBC local radio in covering faith is an essential one, giving space for people to share how their values and beliefs impact on their lives. However, we should not shy away from challenging those with power.

32. Chile - Sexual Abuse, Secrets and Lies - Crossing Continents SINGLE PROG. TX: 13/09/2018 Dur: 27’40” Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 Production Company: BBC Radio Current Affairs

In this powerful and moving radio documentary Linda Pressly tells the story of the dark secrets of Chile’s Catholic Church and their devastating impact on individual lives. El Bosque is the wealthy Santiago parish where Fernando Karadima, a charismatic priest, attracted hundreds of young men to the priesthood. In 2010, he was exposed as a paedophile after survivors revealed he had sexually abused them. The Vatican sentenced Karadima to a life of penance and prayer. But this was no one- off, rogue priest. This year the scale of Chile’s abuse scandal has been revealed – multiple allegations of sexual exploitation and cover-up are now being investigated across this Andean nation, including allegations made by a congregation of nuns. At first Pope Francis was in denial. Subsequently he was forced to send his experts in sex crime to Santiago to hear evidence. Most recently, bishops have resigned, and more than a dozen priests have been suspended. All this is happening against a backdrop of sharply declining adherents to the Catholic church in Chile. For Crossing Continents, Linda meets survivors of sexual abuse, whistle-blowers and devout Catholics, and explores a story that continues to haunt the Francis papacy. Produced by Jane Chambers.

33. Modern Slavery Survivors SINGLE PROG. TX: 18/11/2018 Dur: 26’30” Broadcaster: BBC World Service Production Company: Whistledown Productions

Modern slaves are all around us and many of them are men. They work in factories and private homes, unseen and unheard. Zita Adamson tells the stories of some of these men as they arrive at the UK's first safe house for male victims of modern slavery.

She spent a year recording at the safe house, talking to men like Mo who ran away from a refugee camp in Bangladesh, only to be trafficked to London as a domestic servant. "All my life I am running - running, running, running," he says. Wahib, forced into prostitution after losing both parents in the conflict in South Sudan, warns listeners that the streets of Europe are not paved with gold. And Kristof from Hungary admits that, even though he's now free, it's hard to trust people again. Life at the safe house is about trying to give back the men a sense of their value as a human being, says Kate Garbers, managing director of Unseen, the UK-based charity that runs the house. Her view is that it's our addiction to cheap goods and services that is, indirectly, putting these men into slavery. And she argues that it's only by making better choices as consumers that we'll end this hideous trade.

34. Grenfell: Our Home SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 09/06/2018 Dur: 15’00” Broadcaster: Channel 4 Production Company: Parable

GRENFELL: OUR HOME is a virtual reality documentary for Channel 4 about people’s lives, their homes and the community that existed in Grenfell Tower before the fire of 14th June 2017. With animation from 59 Productions and original score from Icelandic composer Biggi Hilmars. It offers viewers a powerful, original perspective as well as being a sensitive and respectful documentary record of what happened.

NB: this is a VR documentary. The WeTransfer link is a file designed to be used with Oculus Go. Alternatively the film can be viewed on youtube at -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82ZsVqlmx84

It is best viewed in virtual reality, using headphones.

35. ITV News SINGLE EPISODE from a longer series or strand TX: 28/03/2018 Dur: 03’04” Broadcaster: ITV News Production Company: ITN for ITV News

In March 2018, ITV News’ Senior International Correspondent, John Irvine, filmed a heart-warming report from the third holiest site in Christianity where it’s thought Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.

Last year more than half a million people visited the West Bank spot, many to immerse themselves in the water. If they took in the scenery, they will have noticed the eight churches nearby. But they couldn’t have visited them because for half a century they’ve been out of bounds, surrounded by minefields.

After the Six-Day War of 1967 the Israeli army laid the mines and booby-trapped the churches to prevent enemy gunmen operating out of neighbouring Jordan from using the buildings as cover. Earlier in March, the Halo Trust – renowned for mine clearance around the world – began work to clear this site. Delicate diplomacy was required to bring the Israeli and Palestinian authorities together, not to mention the various denominations.

Irvine reported how a group of people made up of Christians, Jews and Muslims had come together with the shared purpose of working on the site together to make it a safe place where pilgrims can come and worship in the churches once more.

In the land around the churches viewers could see the lines of anti-tank mines as well as the tailfins of mortar shells poking out of the sand. The team has a vast area of 250 acres to clear. In addition, Irvine reported that there are hopes of restoring the beautiful interiors of churches. In 1970 a shell destroyed the top corner of one of the churches and pictures taken by a drone showed lustrous decorations, mosaics and icons which restorers will now be able to work on. This ITV News report illustrates how heartening this project and the co-operation behind it is.