My former BBC colleague Michael Buerk recently lamented the “dumbing- down” of news coverage thanks to 24-hour news. It’s an opportune moment to look at the pluses and minuses of rolling news. One change resulting from always-on-the-ground news coverage is that too many people feel a compulsion to get their faces on Sky News or [...]
Lay down your arms!
September 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I was running a media training course the other day and playing back recordings of the participants’ first round of TV interviews. One of the participants, upon watching his performance, exclaimed: “That was dreadful. I’m waving my hands around like those newsreaders on TV”. This got me thinking or rather observing our TV newsreaders a [...]
Dying a death on live TV
September 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The ordeal of Ortis Deley is over, for the moment. Thrust into the presenter’s chair – or, in his case, on to the stool – for Channel 4’s coverage of the World Athletics Championship, he was abandoned, hung out to dry, left for dead by the production staff. With no support, not even a rudimentary [...]
“And now – the Home Affairs Select Committee News Hour…”
July 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The BBC could do worse than sign up the entire home affairs select committee for the Newsnight summer slot while Jeremy goes fishing. Their questioning of the men from the Yard combined all the qualities needed – aggression, persistence and bitchiness – for an entertaining grilling. It is of course easier to hunt as a [...]
Where does this leave journalism?
July 6, 2011 By 1 Comment
As Robert Peston put it this morning – “This is now much more than a newsroom going bad….” The revelation that not just celebrities but also victims of tragedy have had their phones hacked raises –or, more accurately, lowers – the whole News of the World debate. A journalist’s job is very simple – to [...]
My friend Sean
June 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ed Balls – interviewed by Sean Curran on The World at One – addressed the presenter by his first name on at least six occasions during the course of their exchange. Given that “Sean” was going for him over the “plot against Blair” story, it seemed incongruous that Balls should try to be so cosy. [...]
The danger of journalists carrying weapons
June 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
News last week that Pakistani journalists have been given permission to carry guns. This is very dangerous territory indeed. In all my years in some fairly hazardous places, I never once carried a weapon. I was aware, however, that some correspondents covering the bush war in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) did venture out carrying guns, just [...]
Countdown in Cairo
February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
HarveyLeach tutor David Rogers was the Reuters correspondent in Cairo when President Anwar Sadat was assassinated and Hosni Mubarak took over. He was one of the few western correspondents who turned up to report on the military parade at which Sadat was shot. Here he recalls that moment and reflects on the events now shaking [...]
Beware! Here comes the local news
January 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced more details today of the new TV channel devoted to local news and information which, he hopes, “will help hold local authorities and other public service providers to account”. Prepare for the flood-gates to open! Hell hath no fury like local citizens who believe themselves victims of public servants, [...]
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