atw: Re: Was OT: Culture - now truth and logic

Clarke, Brian:
On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 09:57:24 +1100,  you wrote:
> There is a problem I find with ABC interviews - they are often
> one-sided and often quite untutored - ie, they lack expertise
> in both the subject matter and the practice of interviewing.
> It seems to take an inordinate amount of time before an ABC
> interviewer develops these skills. But, in the meantime, I
> find myself at odds with my co-viewers because of the poor
> quality of interviewing/reportage. The advantage of ABC stuff
> is that if there is a bias, the interviewer/reporter wears it
> proudly on its sleeve.
>

Interesting observation.  Only problem is, every time I hear this I wait to 
hear which one side is being favoured.   I'm particularly reminded of this now 
my local ABC radio is a part of the "Country Hour" circuit, where I would think 
many people might judge a certain one-sidedness that may be different from the 
one-sidedness city dwellers might see. 

But I should declare a bias myself.  I used to work for the ABC, way way back, 
and the training I had there (scatty though it was at times) was provided by a 
combination of people whose views I eventually discovered varied all the way 
from right to left and back again. But at least there was some training of 
value in the theory and practice of interviewing and commentary -- from people 
like Russell Warner and Kit Denton (Andrew's dad) -- to mention two people who 
went somewhat unheralded in this area. 
   

> Sure, the commercial channels pay more for their staff ....

Yep.     
Often twice or three times what you'd get at the ABC....

> .... who are  often better tutored...

Nope.     And I should know.   I were one of them, too.    
  
If there's training, it's very frequently "bought" from the ABC.
Check the origins of the producers and reporters in places like 6.5 minutes 
etc...

> more urbane   ...

Urbane ? !!!
Not universal amongst some I used to work with....        Unless asking "How do 
you feel?" without dying of shame before the words leave your lips can be taken 
as an indication of urbanity.   (Or having the fastest foot-in-the-door in the 
west.)  


> - and then you have the [not
> so obvious] bias with which to contend. 

Interesting where you think this bias originates....  given  that a lot of the 
people involved come from the ABC anyway...

Biggest bias these days, as I see it,  is to sensationalism and beat-up in most 
cases, although I suppose to the extent that that clouds relevant news from 
view, it may in itself be a "not-so-obvious" bias in covering up relevant news. 
[Tits on page 3 approach] 

--------
But in any event, if you depend on those who surround you for news of the 
outside world, you are inevitably insular by definition.       And subject to 
"Chinese whispers". 

Strange how history works, isn't it ?      Start a society from a bunch of 
convicts with a bunch of semi-crims in charge of them, and you get a society 
centuries later based on a culture that still resents governors and government, 
authority and cops etc...

Set up small villages of Calvinist communities with emphasis on keeping to 
themselves and eschewing outsiders and their views, and a few centuries later 
you get large pockets of population with a lot of local newspapers and TV, 
little or no contact with other cultures or foreigners and little understanding 
of either.    

It appears we are who we were.

The only saving graces in each case have probably been effects of immigration.  
    

Now if we can just lock up all them immigrants.....     

Oh. Yeah. We've already started on that.... 

--Peter M       

  



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