How To Report The News

Charlie Brooker always seems rather disgusted by everything he talks about. :)

So spot on it's sad. but it shows you what scientists need to do to get their stuff on television.

if you can keep from hurling while you're doing it.

As cutting and sarcastic as Poms can be, but try also
The Chasers' War on Everything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95hH1H5qK08

Roll the stock "obese people" footage!

I swear, that exact video clip has been making the rounds at TV news outlets for decades.

I guess great minds think alike. I didn't realize you'd posted this and I just put it up this evening. It's a brilliant send up.

Having worked as a TV news reporter I found Charlie's piece very amusing - some of us have long believed reporting like this is a rubbish way to do things!

But even if a journalist wants to tell stories in a more authentic and engaging way, the constraints of the so-called "house style" in many news organisations make it difficult to achieve.

What's needed is a massive culture shift and a complete re-think of what we understand quality broadcast news reporting is.

And guess what? That's exactly what's happening, though you'd never believe it from what we're still mostly seeing on TV.

Anyway, the new digital technologies, and shake up of "old school/old mainstream" journalism means new platforms and styles of "news" storytelling can now emerge.

Let's hope fresh and appropriate ways of funding appear too, so we can kill off this dreadful formulaic reporting and delivery, and clear the way for more natural and interesting ways to treat stories and content.

Much love,

Ian Aspin. www.twitter.com/ianaspin