Comment at end
1st October, 2009
Some current items on Radios 4’s The Media Show, 30th September 2009.
- The Sun’s dropping of support for Brown’s Labour party on the day of his leadership speech to conference
- Broadcasting impartiality
- BBC search for female newsreaders over 50
- What makes a great conference speech
The Media Show – listen here. Scroll to each item of interest, then watch Tony Blair Words Videos here at end.
Time: 01:32 to 6:04
Trevor Kavanagh, Associate Editor of The Sun, discusses their decision to back the Conservatives; why have they decided to do it now and what will the impact be?
My thoughts: Kavanagh and The Sun have taken 12 years and three elections to realise that Labour hasn’t been working! Kinda slow noticing, aren’t they?
Time: 6:05 to 15:53
The impartial reporting of news has been the bedrock of British broadcasting for decades but that could be under threat. Recently Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, suggested he may want to scrap the rules on political impartiality if the Tories get into power. BBC Trustee and director of journalism at Cardiff University Richard Tait and David Graham, chief executive of the media consultancy Attentional and founder of Diverse Productions, join Steve to discuss whether impartial news reporting is still a viable and valuable model.
My thoughts: Looking at the evidence of some of the USA news channels, do we in Britain really want opinionated newscasters? The BBC will remain (largely) impartial, as per their constitution. How do we manage impartial bias from the broadcasters as well as the printed media? Yet to be convinced.
Time: 15:54 to 22:34
The BBC’s announcement that it is actively seeking to recruit a female newsreader over the age of 50 is yet another twist in its ageism saga. For many years, female newsreaders have appeared to have a much shorter shelf-life than their male counterparts. So is this a sign attitudes are changing for good or simply a stunt with little consolation for those women overlooked in the past? Sue Ayton, agent to the newsreaders, and the controller of the BBC’s News Channel, Kevin Bakhurst, discuss.
My thoughts: Having dumped the best, why don’t they just re-instate them? The nonsense about Moira Stewart being not really comfortable in ‘rolling 24 hour news’ seems incomprehensible. The men over 50 are comfortable and Moira isn’t. What nonsense. Personally, I might know one or two suitable candidates, but I doubt that they’ll be fooled by this BBC p.r. stunt.
Time: 22:35 to 30:00
It’s the season of the big conference speech; comebacks, rallying the faithful and enticing policy announcements are all the rage. But what makes a great speech for those on the inside – the speech writers and those that report them? We speak to former Number 10 spin doctor Lance Price and assistant political editor of the Sunday Express, Julia Hartley-Brewer.
My thoughts: Blair, Cameron, Blair, Hague, Blair & others compare VERY favourably to Brown as conference speakers. Tell us something new!!!
Two memorable quotes from Julia Hartley-Brewer:
“Gordon Brown’s best speech on his best day, best ever is not even half as good as Tony Blair’s worst speech.”
“Tony Blair, just a genius speaker.”
A quick reminder or two, of Blair the communicator par excellence:
Tony Blair – Everlasting Words Part 1
More Tony Blair Words (Part 2)
Tags: a great conference speech, BBC recruits female newscasters over 50, Gordon Brown, impartial reporting BBC, The Media Show, The Sun, Tony Blair
Tony Blair 
October 2, 2014 at 12:57 am |
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Listen: Media Show-The Sun & Labour; Broadcast Impartiality; Female Newsreaders 50+; Great Conference Speeches | Tony Blair