tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post8049139744340572338..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: Let's End the Soundbite InterviewIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-38881280040866497192010-11-21T03:33:32.838+00:002010-11-21T03:33:32.838+00:00I, too, lament the (near) extinction of in-depth i...I, too, lament the (near) extinction of in-depth interviews.<br /><br />Alas, I think the pre-election leaders' debates have made their resurrection even more unlikely.<br /><br />Aside from the media's (mis?) calculations of their audience's attention span, the politicians themselves increasingly see both ranging interviews and close-argument as lose-lose propositions: it is reasoned that the small audience fails to justify the investiture of time in preparation and the studio - even if the interview goes well; in contrast, an increased duration brings with it a concomitant opportunity to gaffe, forget, confuse, stray from one's remit or simply mis-speak. In this (not uncommon) eventuality, the product of five seconds' miscalculation is isolated, cut, and amplified a thousand times from the sleepy backwaters of BBC4 (or whatever) onto the front pages of Fleet Street. It's a risk only the brave - or perhaps the foolhardy - would volunteer to undertake voluntarily.<br /><br />Thinking along similar lines, I was listening to a parliamentary debate in the background (online) whilst working on my computer the other day. I was struck by the low-calibre of speakers across the back-benches. The managed only clumsy thoughts expressed clumsily in tones, styles and voices that would clear a village hall in minutes. Were I cursed with a lack of communication skills yet considering such a career, I may well consider a course in public speaking or rhetoric; they were dreadful. Do the parties not offer training?Mr Yithyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04834014172987432551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-44334628056285073272010-11-20T23:37:15.482+00:002010-11-20T23:37:15.482+00:00I so much agree with you. The producers must come ...I so much agree with you. The producers must come from education institutes that have dumbed down their output and regard everyone as having the concentration span of a flea while interviewers are happy to ask prepared questions but cannot think on their feet to respond to the answers and interrogate their interviewees more deeply.Osama the Nazarenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13627668308711758602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-91858509319950735442010-11-19T17:25:44.957+00:002010-11-19T17:25:44.957+00:00Sorry to disturb the mood of unanimity but in most...Sorry to disturb the mood of unanimity but in most cases I am not convinced longer interviews would work. Within a few minutes, most politicians would reveal they had little to add to their basic briefing. To extend the interview any longer would be pointless. We need politicians with a Healy-like hinterland who have something interesting, original or relevant to say. But where are they?Andrew Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197545812709417188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-14965858780233285782010-11-19T15:19:49.986+00:002010-11-19T15:19:49.986+00:00Damn right.
And you can quote me.Damn right.<br /><br />And you can quote me.Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-31851659715033191532010-11-19T15:18:21.352+00:002010-11-19T15:18:21.352+00:00Didn't there used to be some sort of internet ...Didn't there used to be some sort of internet based TV station that specialised in long form interviews with politicians and political figures? Can't remember the name of it now....Mark Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744387583593537268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-581779287676787042010-11-19T14:53:06.966+00:002010-11-19T14:53:06.966+00:00Spot on. But will the politicians buy it? It suits...Spot on. But will the politicians buy it? It suits most of them to just issue a sound bite as they have never lived in the real world. That Eagles woman on R5 this morning again issued the standard Labour gubbins about the coalition taking a "reckless gamble" with the economy without anyone challenging her on what her ideas were for getting us out of this hole. I would love to see her grilled for an hour. She would run out of propaganda after about 35 seconds.....ChrisMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07911549263596770219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32634011435619475412010-11-19T14:51:08.625+00:002010-11-19T14:51:08.625+00:00Ian i am amazed to say "i 100% agree with you...Ian i am amazed to say "i 100% agree with you "<br />Andrew EdinburghANDY EDINBURGHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12366358053895766151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-13142887997434718122010-11-19T14:48:32.601+00:002010-11-19T14:48:32.601+00:00I totally agree about BBC news programmes treating...I totally agree about BBC news programmes treating listeners like morons - and not just on radio. <br /><br />Why else would television news show us hardly anything from political speeches (http://bit.ly/bHHAoE)?<br /><br />Why do they insist on inflicting PowerPoint-style presentations on us from reporters out there on the other side of the studio (http://bit.ly/9TfEGw)?<br /><br />And who, in their right mind thinks that 6 guests on BBC Question Time is better than 5 (or that 5 is better than 4)?<br /><br />I can only conclude that they don't care and/or never do any research into how listeners and viewers react to their news and current affairs coverage - for the simple but arrogant reason that 'they know best'.Max Atkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06163447049027217653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-80685432599441525852010-11-19T14:22:18.734+00:002010-11-19T14:22:18.734+00:00100% agree with this!100% agree with this!LibCynchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13025602133865137272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32041990643155262712010-11-19T14:21:19.237+00:002010-11-19T14:21:19.237+00:00I do agree. Remember at the election there were th...I do agree. Remember at the election there were those 30min Paxman interviews with the leaders? I found them far more helpful than the TV debate circus.<br /><br />However, politicians also have some blame. Cameron was on a Radio 4 phone in during the election and I phoned in and asked a question about the NHS. He avoided what I asked and just gave a platitude from the manifesto. I felt shortchanged, I felt that he had no respect for me nor the audience by ignoring my question. But from a political point of view, if he had answered my direct question truthfully it would have embarrassed him. So what should he have done - not agreed to the phone in?richard.bloggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10589364986804437392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-33235662735655888802010-11-19T14:20:19.649+00:002010-11-19T14:20:19.649+00:00Couldn't agree more about the shortened interv...Couldn't agree more about the shortened interview. It allowed Gordon Brown to spout tractor statistics and never answer a question. The number of times one shouts at the radio. <br /><br />Four words - Andrew Neil Hard Talk, or is it three? His pre-election interview with St Vince was excellent. Surely it should be added to either BBC2 or Radio 4.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-53482575254405175852010-11-19T14:14:41.511+00:002010-11-19T14:14:41.511+00:00R4 Today coming up to 8am, cut Digby Jones off to ...R4 Today coming up to 8am, cut Digby Jones off to go to the weather. Then they did an piece promoting the Archers' new website.<br /><br />Oh, and while we're moaning about R4, why do they say "The President of the United States, Barack Obama". I think they can safely assume R4 listeners know who Obama is.Mike in Edinburghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09488947818845046677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-14405334614821948422010-11-19T14:07:56.608+00:002010-11-19T14:07:56.608+00:00Well said.Well said.Platohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416276749202589235noreply@blogger.com