Give Geography its Place Campaign (GGiP)

'GIVE GEOGRAPHY ITS PLACE'

MEDIA CONTACTS

Here are some of the media responses that we have received so far.... KEY: Yellow = GGiP e-mails, Green = media replies

The first one follows on from a set of e-mails sent by David to the Commissioning Editors at the BBC with the subject line 're: Missing Subject'

Dear Richard
Can you tell me why there is no Commissioning Editor for Geography? I would have thought that it would fit under the Specialist Factual Category alongside 'History, Natural History, Science and Business' but it doesn't appear to be listed. Does it fit into your responsibility for 'Documentaries'?
Regards David Rayner
'Give Geography its Place' www.passion4geography.co.uk

Hi there,
As far as I know there isn't a particular Geography Commissioner. Martin Davidson, Executive Producer for Specialist Factual covers History/Science and Natural History ideas. If you would like to email him at specfact.proposals@bbc.co.uk he or one of his team will respond to you.
Best wishes, Matthew
Matthew Peltier
Proposals Assistant, Documentaries and Factual Features
Room 6060 BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, White City, London W12 7RJ
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Matthew Peltier would like to recall the message, "Missing subject".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated.
If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify the sender immediately. Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received. Further communication will signify your consent to this.
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Dear David,
Many thanks for your email to all our commissioning units, I am replying on behalf of the BBC. We take your comments into consideration, but although Geography isn't a named genre as such, we feel our programming certainly touches on all aspects of geography through Specialist Factual and Features which covers travel / culture / natural history. Thanks again for taking the time to write to us and for your interest in the BBC.

All best wishes,
Emily Roseman
Proposals Assistant for Factual Independents and
Assistant to Lucy Hetherington ( Executive Producer, Factual Independents )
Room 6060, Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, W12 7RJ

Dear Emily
I have to say that you have provided a very disappointing response to my question. If indeed you are genuinely 'taking comments into consideration' then this kind of bland response will give your viewers no confidence at all. The point that I am making is 'why do the BBC avoid using the word Geography?'. As an academic subject, it has been around for over a century and modern Geography is the only subject that bridges the academic pigeon holes of science and the humanities - the only subject which allows people to see how humans interact with the natural environment and the impact that these two aspects have on each other.

Natural history is not Geography! Definitions vary but include: 'The study of animals or plants; "Natural history" is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as a number of distinct scientific disciplines; An obsolescent term: the non-systematic study, description, and classification of animals, plants, minerals, and other natural objects: zoology, botany, mineralogy; with emphasis on study in the field rather than the lab.' The BBC produces the most wonderful 'natural history' programmes but often uses this inappropriate label to cover issues which are in fact geographical. Recent programmes dealing with 'global warming' for example had a lot of footage about how the animals/plants would cope with any possible climate change but the focus of the programmes is surely the role of human beings in modifying/enhancing any natural changes and the impact on the 6 billion people living on Planet Earth. This is Geography pure and simple - why not label it as such.

The Planet Earth series was a stunning set of programmes but can the BBC honestly say, hand on heart, that large parts of this series where not geographical - yet they are labelled as 'Science and Nature'. As geographers, we are not trying to devalue the role of other subjects but merely trying to get recognition for the subject that is an integral part of many, many BBC programmes but rarely, if ever, gets mentioned either on the websites or on the trailers let alone in the programmes themselves.

Why is the BBC afraid of the 'G' word? It is time for a change. We live in a world where young people need to understand the impact that society is having on the earth and the impact that it is having on us through natural processes. There are no easy decisions to be made when balancing the needs of people and the planet. In schools, Geographers are daily analysing and discussing with young people issues such as energy, transport, urban decay, natural hazards, climate change, poverty and so on. It is time the BBC supported all the good work that goes on by recognising the role of Geography and at least using the word. I hope that you or a more senior member of the BBC staff may be able to provide a more thorough response to the questions raised by my comments.

Regards David Rayner

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