'BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman last night attacked the 24-hour television news culture, which he says prizes emotion over reasoned argument and live reportage over uncovering stories.
He also used the flagship opening night speech at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival to attack the BBC, claiming its future could be in jeopardy because of the quality of its programmes.
"In the very crowded world in which television lives, it won't do to whisper, natter, cogitate or muse," he told the audience of TV executives. "You have to shout. The need is for constant sensation. The consequence is that reporting now prizes emotion over much else.
"We have a dynamic in news now that is less about uncovering things than it is about covering them".'
