From the editor's desktop: Your response

Pete Clifton, editor of the BBC News website, defends coverage of the Michael Jackson trial and fends off suggestions he is peddling pornography. And Ron gets put in his place. Read a selection of your comments.

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Your comments:

The release of Michael Jackson is like a victory for the poor in America. The rising and the falling of a star. His white skin, though artificial, paid off.
Mouhyadine, Gabiley, Somalia

Of course it was way over the top but why on earth are you asking now when the entire process started fifteen weeks ago? Take a hot tip: in general, the BBC falls into line with all other broadcasters and news organisations when it comes to promoting the interests of celebrities or when trying to demolish their entire persona and careers. Just stop it: let the tabloid press revel in such non stories and concentrate on something decent.
Duncan Williamson, Abingdon, England

The whole thing was disgusting and you should not have dignified it with your over the top attention. When a thing stinks walk around it!
Sky McCain, Hartland, Devon

Start asking us how we'd like you to report on something Michael Bermudez, Burbank

Why not stop asking us whether, or not, we liked your coverage about a recent past event - and start asking us how we'd like you to report on something that is either known to be forthcoming, or, is of a long enough duration that our comments can affect your approach?
Michael Bermudez, Burbank, California, USA

Well, it's really nice of you to mention my feedback yet again!

First I must say I love the Also in the News section - you pick up some amusing things.

Following on from the Day in a Troubled Country ideas, here are some countries that would be good to cover for starters: Somalia, Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Israel, 'Palestine', Congo. It would also be good to cover the five countries with the lowest scores on the Human Development Index (Day in Bongo Land): Sierra Leone, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Burundi. They may not then appear as backward as you would think. I was surprised when my son was able to send emails from an Internet cafe in the backwoods of Burkina Faso!

But I have a request: please can I help in putting together A Day in Tahiti (I have been there and know it's not all a bed of roses)?
Marion Burkimsher, Chevry, France

What impresses me with the BBC is that the coverage of the world news is excellent Benjamin, New Zealand

The BBC News website is second to none, in my opinion. It is the first website I log into to receive news from around the world every day of the week at my work. What impresses me with the BBC is that the coverage of the world news is excellent. Have Your Say is a brilliant idea, I must add, there is variety, interest, ideas and excellent links on your website. A world class website for world news.
Benjamin, New Zealand

I have only one comment over the entire episode. *YAWN*
Chika, Romford, Essex, UK

I would have been lost without the coverage the BBC website had on the Michael Jackson trail. I especially liked the reporters' logs which gave you an insight as to what was going on inside and not just outside. I've been a Michael fan for 21 years and the past few months have been terrible but at least with the BBC website I knew what I was reading wasn't going to be the usual junk you get. Thank you BBC.
Donna N, Basildon, Essex

The trouble with the reporting of the Michael Jackson trial is that you put it in the 'Entertainment' section. I know you did that because he's an entertainer, but it ends up looking like the trial itself is some sort of entertainment for the rest of us.
Mand, London

I have switched to the BBC as my home page since the American media is no longer presenting the news. They have all become tabloids. Your coverage of the Jackson trial brings you down to their level. Please just stick to real news that matters. (Drop the Tom Cruise coverage too). By the way, you keep misspelling words like "colour", and what is a "lorry"?.
Michael Walkup, Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA

I think you did a wonderful job reporting the Michael Jackson news. It was not overdone at all. I can't make that same statement about the press in the USA.
Jeanne, Lafayette, La. USA

That the whole media industry gave more coverage than I felt appropriate is not the sole blame of the BBC Sam, Oxford, England

While I would say BBC coverage of the Jackson trial was over the top, it was equal to the attention other news agencies afforded it. That the whole media industry gave more coverage than I felt appropriate is not the sole blame of the BBC. More and more the media self-perpetuates random news emphasis from going on what the rest of the industry is reporting. Interestingly, I think, this actually goes one step further and actually effects what the public think they want to hear. If enough news groups report something as news, the public begin to believe it newsworthy.
Sam, Oxford, England

Are your sub-editors on permanent holiday? If journalists are not in control of their medium, what exactly are they in control of? Proof reading is no an arcane science! Other than that, congratulations on a wonderful site.
Dominic, Oxford

Re the Jackson coverage. I don't mind the BBC website devoting lots of pages to the trial, because I don't have to click on them. You have plenty of other interesting stories. Excessive coverage on the 10pm news was a problem because it isn't interactive and so people didn't have a choice (unless they had the all powerful red button).
Mark Knight, Manchester

I applaud the BBC News for their coverage of the Michael Jackson trial. To say that Jackson's fate is not news is ridiculous. Jackson is probably the world's most recognizable man. He has entertained millions. This verdict was important to many people or else the traffic wouldn't have surged like it did. TV ratings were also indicating that people DO still care about Jackson whether they like to admit it or not. Cheers to the BBC, Peter Bowes and everyone else that did a fabulous job in Santa Maria and back in Britain.
Anne, Munich, Germany

The coverage of the Michael Jackson verdict was excessive Craig Thornton, London

I do think the coverage of the Michael Jackson verdict was excessive. Sadly, this probably reflects demand in our pop-culture society for light 'news' that is quickly forgotten. Perhaps balancing this demand with better follow-up of major events would be an answer. More detailed coverage of how Asia is coping in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami is perhaps an obvious place to start.
Craig Thornton, London

BBC News website is one of my reference points for domestic and international news.
Roberto Alvarez-Galloso, CPUR, Miami, Florida

Is there anyone out there who would vote that the BBC has improved the quality of its news content over the past five years? I very much doubt it!
Raymond Clements, Portadown, Northern Ireland

Thank heavens your coverage was not like that on Sky. All I could see was "Michael Jackson Trial" on the programme listings screen over a long period of time.
Nadim, London

Totally over the top coverage, following on from the criticism of the US election, I thought the BBC would have learnt it's lesson, but obviously not.
Chris Lewis, Southampton, UK

I just wanted to say that I think you make a superb job of this website. I'm at university, living on campus at the moment and don't have a TV, so the BBC News site is the main way I keep in touch with the 'outside world'. I don't think I've ever had cause to complain. The comments people have made just make me think, "If you've got time to worry about stuff like that and further more, time to make a complaint about it, you've obviously got too much time on your hands!" Thanks, Chris
Chris, Loughborough

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