Jeremy Paxman axes 'crap' Newsnight email

Outspoken: Jeremy Paxman has ditched the Newsnight mail
11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman has fired off a rant to viewers dismissing the show's daily email bulletin as an "exercise in fatuousness" - then said it was being axed for being "crap".

For years, devotees of the BBC Two show have been receiving regular updates, often laced with Paxman's pearls of wisdom.

But as he killed off the newsletter with a final message yesterday afternoon, he said it should have happened "years ago".

The presenter sarcastically poured scorn on the messages, before admitting that the distribution system was not up to the job and the budget did not stretch to fixing it.

He said viewers would be better just turning on their TV at the appropriate time to find out what was in the programme.

Paxman only returned to the show this week after a few weeks away. On Monday night's show he made a verbal slip-up and said a four-letter word.

In his email, he wrote: "Welcome to positively the last Newsnight daily email. The time has come to put this exercise in fatuousness out of its misery.

"It gives me no pleasure to say that it should have happened years ago.

"Actually, I lie. There is more joy in heaven, etc, etc.

"The reason for killing it off is pretty straightforward. It's crap.

"Conscientious readers may have noticed that Monday's email this week was actually promoting a programme which went out last week. A carrier pigeon would have been quicker.

"The daily email was dreamed up - like so many other utterly brilliant initiatives (anyone recall the Newsnight podcast, for people who preferred their television without pictures?) - by visionary senior management at the BBC."

He went on: "For a while, we even sent out a morning email as well, detailing the mental anguish of the editor on duty that day, and soliciting suggestions as to what people would like to see on air that evening.

"This, too, often arrived after the show had been broadcast.

"Like a dodgy plumber skulking away from a flooded bathroom, those responsible are blaming the tools of their trade. In this case, they're right. The piece of kit (the 'gizmo', to give it its technical name) which sends out the email is completely useless and we can't afford to fix it."

He pointed out to viewers that there were "other, thrilling ways to make sure you're not pleasurably surprised when the programme goes on air" by checking the programme blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Paxman added: "Alternatively, you could just switch on your television to BBC Two at 10.30pm."

And he made a reference to the tardiness of the emails as he signed off: "So, farewell daily email. And a Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Easter and Millennium Eve to all our viewers."

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