Italian earthquake reporting on the BBC News 24
Discussion
OK, News, by its sheer nature is car crash TV. Misery, doom and gloom and the worst excesses of human depravity and misery are the bread and butter of the news channels.
But every now and then you watch a news story and you just think why? - why are they reporting? what good does it serve?
News 24, Lisa(?) Baldini reporting on the Italian earthquake intervies a man in front of the runs of an appartment block. The man is in tears, clearly lost for words, and clearly either in a state of shock or something far far worse. "how do you feel"?
... and then the man puts his hands to his face and barely holding back the tears says a few mumbled words.
"Clearly he's upset" - or words to that effect. Good grief.
Why? Why show this? What good does it possibly do to interview someone who is clearly going into shock before your very eyes? How can it help anyone?
Car crash, train wreck schedenfreude news reporting at it's most bile inducing pseudo empathetic worst.
But every now and then you watch a news story and you just think why? - why are they reporting? what good does it serve?
News 24, Lisa(?) Baldini reporting on the Italian earthquake intervies a man in front of the runs of an appartment block. The man is in tears, clearly lost for words, and clearly either in a state of shock or something far far worse. "how do you feel"?
... and then the man puts his hands to his face and barely holding back the tears says a few mumbled words.
"Clearly he's upset" - or words to that effect. Good grief.
Why? Why show this? What good does it possibly do to interview someone who is clearly going into shock before your very eyes? How can it help anyone?
Car crash, train wreck schedenfreude news reporting at it's most bile inducing pseudo empathetic worst.
Unfortunately, it seems to be what many people want, and all the news organisations are caught up in a race to bring you more and more news, more and more quickly, even if there isn't actually anything to report. It's a far cry from the day in the thirties when the Beeb replaced the radio news with some light music because there was nothing noteworthy to report!
Personally, I reckon no channel should be allowed to broadcast news for more than 30 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. That way, they'd be forced to actually take a bit of editorial action and cut out all the dross.
Personally, I reckon no channel should be allowed to broadcast news for more than 30 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. That way, they'd be forced to actually take a bit of editorial action and cut out all the dross.
drivin_me_nuts said:
Lisa(?) Baldini reporting on the Italian earthquake intervies a man in front of the runs of an appartment block. The man is in tears, clearly lost for words, and clearly either in a state of shock or something far far worse. "how do you feel"?
They alwasy slip in a "how do you feel " question for example to the father of a murdered kid Has me shouting and kicking the TV
The reporting of this sad event was shocking on the 10 O'clock news as well. Did George Alagiya really need fly out to the region to stand in front of some collapsed buildings in L'Aquila only to call an excavator behind him a crane? He, along with other news anchor people and camera crews, must have unnecessarily been taking up much needed beds in local hotels which should have been given to homeless locals. And why on earth do journalist always ask stupid questions like "what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy?". What a vacuous thing to say when geological experts readily admit they are effectively powerless to determine when quakes will strike. Such stupid questions really sum up modern life where "someone" always has to be held to account for everything that happens. This was a geological event for goodness sake.
The BBC news reporting has really gone downhill since Sky and ITN kept winning gongs at annual news awards and the powers that be at the Beeb demanded that their news department play catch up. Everything is now taken to the lowest common denominator in terms of over simplification of stories and selective reporting of facts to sensationalise even the dullest of items.
The BBC news reporting has really gone downhill since Sky and ITN kept winning gongs at annual news awards and the powers that be at the Beeb demanded that their news department play catch up. Everything is now taken to the lowest common denominator in terms of over simplification of stories and selective reporting of facts to sensationalise even the dullest of items.
isuk said:
The reporting of this sad event was shocking on the 10 O'clock news as well. Did George Alagiya really need fly out to the region to stand in front of some collapsed buildings in L'Aquila only to call an excavator behind him a crane?
Charlie Brooker talked about the paradox of "at the scene" reporting. Ironically, 'the scene' of an incident is actually the place where reporters are least likely to find out anything useful (that's what all the researchers back in the newsroom are doing), so you get the bizarre scenario where the studio reporter is asking the journalist questions that they don't know the answer to, then having to fill in the blanks for them
These days, news reporting isn't so much about interesting news, but more about OMG WOW! LOOK AT THIS HORRIFIC/BRILLIANT (change as necessary) INCIDENT!!!!! LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!
Utter bulls
t.Lost soul said:
Simpo Two said:
24-hour news sounds great - until you realise there isn't enugh decent news to fill more than half an hour.
exactly the problem they talk and talk about the same st over and over ,and give a sigh of reliefe when an event lke this takes place mechsympathy said:
Lost soul said:
Simpo Two said:
24-hour news sounds great - until you realise there isn't enugh decent news to fill more than half an hour.
exactly the problem they talk and talk about the same st over and over ,and give a sigh of reliefe when an event lke this takes place 
JMGS4 said:
blueyes said:
Not just the level of reporting but the inability of any of the feckers to pronounce L'Aquila.FFS LACK-WE-LA
You're lucky the quake wasn't in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllanttsiliogogogoch, or even Lunnun!king bh.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff