Editing Jeremy Paxman (section)

===''Newsnight''===
Paxman became a presenter of ''[[Newsnight]]'' in 1989.

On 13 May 1997 he interviewed [[Michael Howard]], who had been [[Home Secretary]] until [[1997 United Kingdom general election|13 days earlier]] after he had held a meeting with Derek Lewis, head of [[Her Majesty's Prison Service]], about the possible dismissal of the governor of [[Parkhurst Prison]], John Marriott. Howard was asked by Paxman the same question {{spaced ndash}} "Did you threaten to overrule him [Lewis]?" {{spaced ndash}} a total of twelve times in succession (fourteen, if the first two inquiries worded somewhat differently and some time before the succession of twelve are included).<ref>{{cite news |last=Horrocks |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Horrocks |title=Paxman versus Howard |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/newsnight25/4182569.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=21 January 2005 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204222306/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/newsnight25/4182569.stm |archive-date=4 February 2009  }}</ref>

During a 20th anniversary edition of ''Newsnight'' in 2000, Paxman told Howard that he had simply been trying to prolong the interview because the next item in the running order was not ready: "By the time I'd asked the question five or six times... it was clear... that you [Howard] weren't going to answer it... at which point a voice came in my ear and said 'The next piece of tape isn't cut, you'd better carry on with this for a while' and I'm afraid I couldn't think of anything else to ask you."

In 1998, [[Denis Halliday]], a United Nations [[Humanitarian Coordinator]], resigned his post in [[Iraq]], describing the effects of his own organisation's [[Iraq sanctions|sanctions]] as genocide.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Denis Halliday opposes U.N.'s sanctions |url=http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2001/01/16/halliday/ |publisher=CNN |date=16 January 2001 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716181220/http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2001/01/16/halliday/ |archive-date=16 July 2012  }}</ref> Paxman asked Halliday in a ''Newsnight'' interview, "Aren't you just an apologist for Saddam Hussein?"

In February 2003, Paxman was criticised by the [[Broadcasting Standards Commission]] over a ''Newsnight'' interview in which he questioned the then Liberal Democrat leader [[Charles Kennedy]] about his drinking. The commission said that the questioning was "overly intrusive in nature and tone and had exceeded acceptable boundaries for broadcast".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1423213/Paxman-carpeted-over-Kennedy-interview.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Matt | last=Born | title=Paxman carpeted over Kennedy interview | date=27 February 2003 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229091026/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1423213/Paxman-carpeted-over-Kennedy-interview.html | archive-date=29 February 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2003, Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] opted to make the case for the [[invasion of Iraq]] via questions from a TV studio audience, mediated by Paxman. The programme is chiefly remembered for the fact that Paxman asked Blair if he and U.S. [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] prayed together. Blair replied, "No, Jeremy. We don't pray together." To which Paxman replied, "But why not?"<ref name="Variety">{{cite news |last=Clarke |first=Steve |title=BBC America Banks on Brash Brit: Network Hopes Paxman is Next U.S. Hit |url=https://variety.com/2007/tv/features/bbc-america-banks-on-brash-brit-1117967484/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=22 June 2007 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202101043/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117967484.html?categoryId=2610&cs=1 |archive-date=2 February 2009  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Assinder |first=Nick |title=Blair Tries to Shift Focus |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1987432.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=14 May 2002 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908144234/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1987432.stm |archive-date=8 September 2017  }}</ref>

During the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 general election]], some viewers complained to the BBC that Paxman's questioning of party leaders had been rude and aggressive.<ref>{{cite news |last=Holder |first=Matt |title=Paxman Special Sparks Backlash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_4460000/newsid_4461600/4461649.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=19 April 2005 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425195746/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_4460000/newsid_4461600/4461649.stm |archive-date=25 April 2013  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=I'm Only Human, Says Paxman |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_4490000/newsid_4493600/4493665.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=29 April 2005 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221054416/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_4490000/newsid_4493600/4493665.stm |archive-date=21 December 2012  }}</ref> He was criticised for his 5&nbsp;am interview with [[George Galloway]] after his election as the [[Respect Party|Respect]] MP for [[Bethnal Green and Bow]] by the just defeated [[Oona King]].<ref name="King2005">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today5_oonaking_20050511.ram |title=Oona King – BBC Radio 4 Interview (RAM file) |date=11 May 2005 |access-date=9 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325052121/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today5_oonaking_20050511.ram |archive-date=25 March 2009 }}</ref> Paxman asked Galloway more than once whether he was proud of having got rid of "one of the very few black women in Parliament."<ref>{{cite news |title=Paxman v Galloway |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/blog/4519553.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=6 May 2005 |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326003421/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/blog/4519553.stm |archive-date=26 March 2013  }}</ref> Galloway cut the interview short. King later said she "did not wish to be defined, by either [her] ethnicity or religious background."<ref name="King2005"/>

On 11 April 2012, Paxman interviewed [[Russell Brand]] about Brand's political views and the article he wrote for the ''[[New Statesman]]''. The interview went viral as Brand stated that it was "futile" to vote and that a "political revolution" was needed. After this interview, Paxman revealed that he had not voted either in some previous elections.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jeremy-paxman-i-understand-why-russell-brand-doesnt-votei-didnt-either-8921410.html|title=Jeremy Paxman: I understand why Russell Brand doesn't vote...I didn't|date=5 November 2013|work=The Independent|first=Daisy|last=Wyatt|access-date=7 April 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408083030/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jeremy-paxman-i-understand-why-russell-brand-doesnt-votei-didnt-either-8921410.html|archive-date=8 April 2017}}</ref>

On 26 June 2012, he interviewed the [[Economic Secretary to the Treasury]] [[Chloe Smith]] about Chancellor [[George Osborne]]'s decision that day to delay plans to increase fuel duty.<ref name=Guardian-2012-06-27/> Paxman questioned the apparent change in her views on fuel duty.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18606060 |title=BBC Newsnight Interview |publisher=BBC |date=26 June 2012 |access-date=29 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628190830/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18606060 |archive-date=28 June 2012  }}</ref> Senior politicians, including [[John Prescott]], questioned Osborne's judgement for sending a junior minister onto the programme in place of himself.<ref name=Guardian-2012-06-27>{{cite news|first= Ben|last= Quinn|url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jun/27/tory-minister-chloe-smith-newsnight-disaster?newsfeed=true|title= George Osborne branded a coward after Tory minister's Newsnight disaster|newspaper= The Guardian|date= 27 June 2012|access-date= 29 June 2012|location= London|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150403001049/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jun/27/tory-minister-chloe-smith-newsnight-disaster?newsfeed=true|archive-date= 3 April 2015|df= dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18608133 |publisher=BBC News |title=David Cameron denies George Osborne 'hid' after fuel U-turn |date=27 June 2012 |access-date=29 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630015514/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18608133 |archive-date=30 June 2012  }}</ref>

The BBC announced Paxman's departure from ''Newsnight'' at the end of April 2014.<ref name="Petersen"/> He had told [[Lord Hall of Birkenhead]], the [[director-general of the BBC]], and [[James Harding (journalist)|James Harding]], the BBC head of news, that he wished to leave in July 2013, but agreed to stay on ''Newsnight'' for another year after the programme had been damaged by the [[Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal|Savile]] and [[Alistair McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of West Green#Defamatory allegations of child abuse|Lord McAlpine]] scandals.<ref name="Petersen"/><ref name="BBC3004">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27230684 "Jeremy Paxman to quit BBC Two's Newsnight"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430192759/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27230684 |date=30 April 2014 }}, BBC News, 30 April 2014</ref> In his statement Paxman commented: "After 25 years, I should rather like to go to bed at much the same time as most people."<ref name="BBC3004"/>

Paxman's brusque manner is not restricted to political interviews. When around 2005 ''Newsnight''{{'}}s editor decided to broadcast brief weather forecasts instead of financial reports Paxman openly ridiculed the decision: "The forecast: it's April, what do you expect?"<ref>{{cite news|title=Paxo's Weather Report|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/3616249/Paxos-weather-report.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=16 April 2005|location=London|access-date=6 May 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604124053/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/3616249/Paxos-weather-report.html|archive-date=4 June 2011}}</ref> The financial reports were re-introduced after a few weeks.

Paxman presented his last ''Newsnight'' on 18 June 2014 in an edition which included an interview with [[Lord Mandelson]] and one with [[London Mayor]] [[Boris Johnson]], while they both rode a [[tandem bicycle]], as well as a brief reappearance of [[Michael Howard]] who, following on from his 1997 interview, was simply asked: "Did you?". The closing theme was replaced with ''[[I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing]]'' by [[The New Seekers]]. The programme ended with a brief [[post-credits scene]] with Paxman standing in front of a [[weather map]] exclaiming "Tomorrow's weather: more of the same! I don't know why they make such a fuss about it" in reference to the 2005 weather forecasts.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27903226 | publisher=BBC News | title=Jeremy Paxman hosts his final Newsnight | date=19 June 2014 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619013149/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27903226 | archive-date=19 June 2014 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>