21 Jan 2011

And Then There Was The News….

Do you drive? Do you feel the pump price for juice is a tad too low? Want to see the price a lot higher? Yes? You do? Firstly, don’t bother popping over here and signing the petition, secondly, please try and get a little help from a good trick-cyclist.

You watch the news? No? Don’t blame you. I do, on occasion. Today, first I watched Adam, “Err” Boulton, then I watched the BBC, I know, I know. Sorry but I did.

Presenter talks about a topic. Presenter passes us over to a topic in question correspondent, one of which they seem to have many thousands of. Correspondent is always outdoors, repeats what we’ve just heard from the studio guy, then passes us back to the studio.

Now this is the bit – the annoying bit. Presenter looks at the topic in question correspondent on the big screen and says, “John, thank you, thank you very much indeed, thank you.” Why? Aren’t they paying John? It would make a refreshing change if the guy said, “John, thank you for repeating what I just said.” Or, “Nothing new there then John.” Or, “John, why are you outside?” It’s probably just me. It is? Well, in that case, just a quick Adam ‘Err’, and thank you for listening. Thank you very much.

Last night, and I missed most of it, the Flight Correspondent was repeating the studio guys reporting on the retirement of some jet trainer that had been primarily used to train navigators. They stated the aircraft had been in the sky for forty-five years. A couple of things sprung to mind here. That plane must have a doozie of a fuel tank, and the trainee navigator probably didn’t get a pass.


Quote; David Brinkley.

“The one function that TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if it were.”

3 comments:

Caratacus said...

Welcome back Mac. Often wonder why anyone comes back these days....!

Ref. your observations on correspondents, I am reminded of an old sergeant who was questioned (gently) by a curious 2L as to his instruction technique;

"Well sir, first I tells 'em what I'm gonna tell 'em. Then I tells 'em... Then I tell's e'm what I just told 'em"

Very good sergeant. Carry on.

Mac said...

This is the second go at posting this. Kind o' sad when you can't get the comments to work at your own place.....

Thank you, and I know what you mean but with advancing age my need for extreme adventure diminishes and with a couple of the locals, definitely half a bubble off locals, setting fire to themselves, thus posing the possibility, however remote, of the country kicking off like their near neighbours, it was nice to take off, however late.

Anonymous said...

Yo Foggy,

Charlie Brooker of the Grauniad has had a go at dissecting straight TV news her;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4

Check it out

Pip pip