…television over the past fifty years has improved in certain dimensions, mostly on the technical and transmission areas it must be said… the gazillion-pixels-per-square-micrometre advances in High Definition Viewing are incredible… the range of uncountable colours deliverable through yer screens is magical… satellite transmission, and cable direct delivery are now the norms… all splendid improvements since the-days-before-remote-control-switches… in other aspects, however, this ol’ Jurassic has to lament the retrograde quality of a specific feature–the banality of newscasting broadcasts… some of it is undoubtedly down to the 24/7-instant-viewer-gratification that has developed over the years… the competition almost to ‘be part of’ rather than ‘reporting on’ the news… the need to ‘entertain’ rather than to ‘inform’, and more dramatic performances from anchor persons than would be found in a Bruce Willis blockbuster… I watch in despair as one newscaster interviews another newscaster from the same channel and it devolves into a repetitive ten-minute verbal loop of the same one-line piece of ‘news’… they vie with each other to say the same thing a dozen different ways in the same segment… and what bluudy News Mogul genius thought it a ‘good idea’ to plonk reporters into the middle of warfare, with live bullets, grenades and bombs exploding round their steel-helmeted skulls and bullet-proof-vested chests?… doesn’t emb’dy ever think of how much extra pressure that brings to the poor soldiers on the ground trying to get on with their difficult enuff job without these microphone-carrying scuttlers under their noses?… years ago, good old Aunty BBC was blessed with arguably the finest radio and television broadcaster ever to address a microphone…
…Richard Dimbleby… an iconic steersman of a news anchor… he also fronted the superbly insightful Panorama series, in a time when reporting was honest and direct… dressed in his impeccable double-breasted suit, Brylcreem-ed short-back-and-sides haircut and sensible necktie… gravitas personified… believable… trusted… no prestigious British Royalty event was complete without Richard’s overtones putting the seal of good broadcasting on it… from hushed tones at grandmens’ funerals, to the majestic voice carry at ceremonial ‘biggies’, his was the imprimatur that we respected… I find it impossible to muster the same enthusiasm for a coupla mates from the studio discussing matters of state on air… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!…
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It was the same in the U.S. I’m afraid it’s more of a show than a news broadcast now. Those new people train in the same college as actors do. They actually look like actors. They’re glamorous young people. I’m afraid it’s just another branch of show business now, and I can’t see it changing anytime soon.
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…madness, really ..news becomes secondary :):)
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” I watch in despair ” – I echo that here. No longer is there “news”, it’s all entertainment magazine style stories / inflammatory stories which don’t contain all the facts/ giggles and silly conversations between anchors who seem to feel they are the stars and we tune in to watch them preen. Tire of stories like “something is going on here, uh, we don’t know exactly what, but if you are int he area send us your videos, tweets, and comments ARRRGHHH. (And you have to be concerned that these new anchors are all some viewers have ever seen)
Dimbleby sound like a mythical creature….
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..they’re about as professional as a bunch of banana-stealing monkeys:)
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I agree. In many cases there’s too much hype and searching for sound bites and not enough content. Philosophermouseofthehedge, there is still a Dimbleby around but it’s the son, David.
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…both of the sons, David and Jonathan were able enuff broadcasters, but not a patch on their old man:)
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Yeh, very true…
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Hi Seumas – great article as usual.. and an award for you … https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/the-creative-blogger-award-so-many-great-blogs-so-little-space/
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…thank you very plenty much for the Award, m’Lady, Sally…much appreciated.. I will tackle the onward leg in due course :):)
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My pleasure Seumas and thank you for all your great support here and everywhere else.. hugs
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Of course these day Seumas when female broadcasters reach a certain age they’re out. I find it’s the early morning panel news shows that are the worst. There is so much happening in the world and they prattle on about Kanye whoever. 😦
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agreed:)
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