Gobbledygook, Today on Radio4
Rob Davies, Chair of Ospreys RFC, explains their financial situation.
Media
It is the
pet peeve of the regular Today programme listener: how often its presenters
interrupt the guests they are interviewing.
…Many listeners who wake up to Today have long complained that [John] Humphrys, 75, cuts in before his interviewees can adequately respond. Analysis by The Sunday Times of a sample of Humphrhys political interviews from the past month found that he typically interrupts his guests every 51 seconds.
…Yet, perhaps surprisingly, Humphrys is already outflanked on interjections by two BBC colleagues – Mishal Husain and Emily Maitlis – both of whom have a reputation for being more measured.
…Sarah Sands, editor of the Today programme, said interruptions had to be well judged. “The fundamental purpose of a news interview is pursuit of truth. Is our understanding advanced by the end of the interview? If not, why not? If it is the fault of the interviewee, the interruption is one way of tackling this. But interruptions because the interviewer is thinking of themselves … play badly with the audience.”
The data shows interviewees tend to get gentler treatment on other BBC flagship shows. Yet the toughest interviewer of all may not be on the BBC payroll.
Last year, interviewing the now disgraced former defence secretary Gavin Williamson, Richard Madeley – of Richard and Judy fame – asked him the same question four times.
After Williamson failed to answer, Madeley, 62, ended the interview saying: “It would be helpful if you answered a straight question with a straight answer.”
(The Sunday Times, 2019)
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Arenig, North Wales, James Dickson Innes (1887-1914)
Photo Credit:Tate [CC BY-NC-ND]
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The
Ospreys are adequately funded for the foreseeable future and will continue to
seek a more equitable distribution model which, at the moment, is weighted
towards subjective criterion capable of improper manipulation, rather than an
objective formula based on impartially quantifiable metrics and success.
(South
Wales Argus, printed in Private Eye, 1493)Media
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The Question James Torrance (1859-1916)
Photo Credit: City of Edinburgh Council [CC BY-NC-ND]
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…Many listeners who wake up to Today have long complained that [John] Humphrys, 75, cuts in before his interviewees can adequately respond. Analysis by The Sunday Times of a sample of Humphrhys political interviews from the past month found that he typically interrupts his guests every 51 seconds.
…Yet, perhaps surprisingly, Humphrys is already outflanked on interjections by two BBC colleagues – Mishal Husain and Emily Maitlis – both of whom have a reputation for being more measured.
…Sarah Sands, editor of the Today programme, said interruptions had to be well judged. “The fundamental purpose of a news interview is pursuit of truth. Is our understanding advanced by the end of the interview? If not, why not? If it is the fault of the interviewee, the interruption is one way of tackling this. But interruptions because the interviewer is thinking of themselves … play badly with the audience.”
The data shows interviewees tend to get gentler treatment on other BBC flagship shows. Yet the toughest interviewer of all may not be on the BBC payroll.
Last year, interviewing the now disgraced former defence secretary Gavin Williamson, Richard Madeley – of Richard and Judy fame – asked him the same question four times.
After Williamson failed to answer, Madeley, 62, ended the interview saying: “It would be helpful if you answered a straight question with a straight answer.”
(The Sunday Times, 2019)
A pity that some other
interviewers don’t follow Richard Madeley’s example.
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