Student learning

As the know-alls consider the BBC's election campaign coverage, there should be a quiet acknowledgement of a clash between two worthy ambitions. Today on Radio 4 is worried about reaching under 35s as much as any programme across the BBC's output - seeking the so-called 'replenisher' audience has been an issue for the network more or less since it was set up in 1967.

Today started occasional co-presenting from universities in 2017, shortly after the arrival of current editor Sarah Sands. In 2018, the programme launched a new set of awards for student journalists. Neither move seemed controversial at the time - indeed,  they seemed an easy way of reaching some low-hanging fruit of potential young listeners, alongside providing 'pegs' to hang items about science and industry, and the odd moral debate.

But as we ran into the 2019 campaign, at least to Tory listeners, these continuing co-presentations seemed simple opportunities for a live audience of lefty students to bay and whinny at any idea espoused by the authors of the Conservative manifesto. However 'balanced' the guest list, and however much Today protested that the event was open to all, not just those on campus, the audio effect, absolutely unsurprisingly, was the same throughout. 

Entertainingly, the 2020 woke wheeze from BBC Editorial Director Kamal Ahmed, is to focus more of his news hacks at "Growing up, Learning and Identity". Here's part of his mission statement: "We will be as interested in BTechs as we are in A-levels, starting work at 18 as we are in universities, adult education as we are in primary schools."