Watching television. Photo: Karola G, pexels.com
As we emerge from the dark side of an amazing lack of (TV driven) news items we tend to look elsewhere for updates on the state of the world.
Peter Carr
In this modern era, I possibly align with many others who are freely (and unbidden) open to the assault on their computer screens of what others feel I should need to know. Often, I am attracted to a juicy tidbit that is almost too good to be true. But when my eye falls onto the named source of this alleged honest information I am immediately turned off. As an example, a whole host of clearly false news items about the UK royal family is viewed as spurious drivel.
But wait. What about the ongoing saga of the soon-to-be resident of a less than 30 bed mansion in the county of Norfolk? A deposed prince no less. Should I believe everything I see and hear and, if so, do I have any feeling of sorrow for the fellow? Or his allegedly estranged wife who still enjoys (or did) the rent-free use of a lovely building under the same roof as to the (then) prince to which she was once married. And will the humbleness of the new name of the ex-royal personage make cheek-by-jowl coexistence less attractive?
But I digress from the main theme. That of the paucity of worthwhile news despite the valiant efforts of a multiplicity of very good radio stations. We are well served by radio in this country, and I am pleased to see that morning news through that medium is going to be beefed up by the arrival of veteran broadcaster John Campbell to ‘take on’ the dominance of equally experienced Mike Hoskins. This will be a journalistic battle worth listening to.
And back on breakfast television at last we are going to have a TV1 anchor who is a professional and highly regarded journalist. News fact and in-depth information will be dispensed as against the previous not-so-in depth babbling that was forced upon us. It was made even more off-putting by the disappearance from opposition TV3 of a very good broadcasting team.
Turning from early TV morning news to that which hits us at evening mealtime the difference is notable in the tenor and depth of the news of the day. Well put together, well-presented and a good choice of the new anchor who is replacing a true journalistic professional after many years of evening screen ‘fronting’.
The astute among you will have noted that I have not remarked (yet) on the daily printed media. I always regretted the move made by the nation’s largest circulating daily paper when it shrank (literally) to become a less than attractive tabloid. I always felt that the ‘up there’ newspapers should have a full-size format which attracted serious readers and, more importantly, serious journalists. I imagine it was a money-driven decision that reflected the ease by which advertisements could be read.
You are right. Clearly my opinion piece – for such as this is – has been driven by idle Yuletide time with thoughts wandering sideways away from the usual path. Come back Jack Tame – all is forgiven.
A person presses the button of a television remote control. Photo: Karola G, pexels.com
