Interview subjects on news radio - who and how

mike65

Just listening to a FGer giving the government a lash for rising jobless total, on comes a FFer to rebut FGer and around and around and around it goes.

Who decides who comes on air (and who doesn't)? Do the political parties hit the quick-dial button to various shows and then the producer says okay but we'll get an opposing point-of view?

An insight from an insider would be welcome.

Mike.

FlutterinBantam

Why is this not on the radio forum???:D

mike65

Its news/media that why! The essential point also applies to other media.

Mike.

FlutterinBantam

just askin!!:p

jdivision

The producer will typically decide. Radio must provide balanced coverage and therefore you get the he says she says debate.

DeepBlue

jdivision wrote: »

Radio must provide balanced coverage and therefore you get the he says she says debate.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Often a Minister might only appear on radio on condition that he/she is only interviewed on his/her own.

jdivision

Again, radio and television coverage has a statutory duty to be balanced. that balance can happen over a period of time but if it's dealing with a something like Q&A, a current affairs show, etc usually they plop for one from each side. On the news there'll be a press release with minister interviewed and when the opposition have drafted a reply that'll be covered. If a minister wants to be interviewed on their own, which does happen, usually the opposition will be requested to comment aftewards

Roanmore

What really annoys me is on Question & Answers, a panel member criticises FF and somebody from the audience says I'm not a Fianna fail supporter but I don't think we've had a better government for 10 years. Not 3, 5 7, but 10. Then somebody says are you a FF supporter and they say oh God no. Then 10 mins later when a FF member of the panel makes a moot point, said member of the audience is clapping his hands like he has heard Martin Luther King making one of his speeches. It's not limited to FF but there must a lot of their supporters in RTE

constitutionus

Roanmore wrote: »

What really annoys me is on Question & Answers, a panel member criticises FF and somebody from the audience says I'm not a Fianna fail supporter but I don't think we've had a better government for 10 years. Not 3, 5 7, but 10. Then somebody says are you a FF supporter and they say oh God no. Then 10 mins later when a FF member of the panel makes a moot point, said member of the audience is clapping his hands like he has heard Martin Luther King making one of his speeches. It's not limited to FF but there must a lot of their supporters in RTE

you can spot the audience plants a mile off. its like they breed the feckers in a dark room or something. i dont know whether its the manerisims or some kind of genetic knowledge all average people have but its obvious that these feckers havent spent one day of their lives living in the real world.

they stand out like a blooms day celebrant in a northside pub.

as to the question of who gets on pannels/radio programmes its the typical hack journalism ive come to expect now thats just too lazy to find some new voices. far easier to trot out the usual suspects or an old college teacher than do some leg work. remember half therse guys go on the lash with each other. its like bringing your mates in for a chat.

IMO who the fcuk actually listens to nell mac cafferty? what POSSIBLE relevance does she have to 21st century ireland? yet she's forever trotted out on RTE and NEWSTALK as some sort of social savant.

Its the same stale feckers everytime telling us how great things are despite the fact none of em could tell you the price of a liter of milk.

nell for instance thinks its wonderfull that the average wage is 35k a year. pity the idiot doenst know if your under 35 HALF that goes on rent/mortgage. meaning in real terms your earning 16 grand a year.

TBH the whole media landscape needs a good culling to get some fresh blood in.

jdivision

constitutionus wrote: »

you can spot the audience plants a mile off. its like they breed the feckers in a dark room or something..

Yep they ring up and ask for audience tickets.

constitutionus wrote: »

as to the question of who gets on pannels/radio programmes its the typical hack journalism ive come to expect now thats just too lazy to find some new voices. far easier to trot out the usual suspects or an old college teacher than do some leg work. .
.

I agree with this. I presume they have databases for various subjects and just ring the people on them again and again. Q&A in fairness has tried to improve this in last two years but lately has been getting stale again. Before that it was the same people every bloody week.

santosubito

jdivision wrote: »

Yep they ring up and ask for audience tickets.



I agree with this. I presume they have databases for various subjects and just ring the people on them again and again. Q&A in fairness has tried to improve this in last two years but lately has been getting stale again. Before that it was the same people every bloody week.

I think Q&A pick someone for the panel and if they do a half decent job they are put on some sort of rota. From people I know who are on it, it is almost impossible to get off...
There is obviously some laziness involved here.
I do a bit of radio and the same applies there: if you do a decent interview, then they never leave you alone.

DMC

jdivision wrote: »

Q&A in fairness has tried to improve this in last two years but lately has been getting stale again. Before that it was the same people every bloody week.

Before and after an election, perhaps.

damien

In regards to Q&A the parties actually get allocated tickets. FF always make sure to take every ticket and then get more from elsewhere. FG have in the past been very lacklustre about taking all the offered tickets. FF seem to get the importance of controling the argument with that whole audience interaction stuff, not so FG. When I was an audience member and again there were some Bertie allegations, FF made sure the best and brightest came along as audience members, FG didn't even bother taking half the offered tickets and so the audience seemed very forgiving of Bertie.

In regards to radio, they generally have a pro and a con person on if they can for balance but also for good fights. If not then the host generally plays Devil's advocate. There is no statutory obligation for independent stations to be balanced and Newstalk aka OppositionTalk proves that.

They all have DBs of people and what they'll talk about but I've noticed a lot more of them are using Google and finding bloggers to give their take. They themselves are sick of all the regulars but a lot of the time they can't seem to find anyone else, but thankfully Google is changing that. It's not like there is a database where "experts" can sign themselves up to go on shows. Yet.

jdivision

damien.m wrote: »

There is no statutory obligation for independent stations to be balanced and Newstalk aka OppositionTalk proves that.

I think that may be incorrect but having seen Ray D'Arcy cream himself at the thought of interviewing the Bert I may be wrong.

Jrad

Who = Jesus
How = At gunpoint
Why = Cause im bored

Crubeens

No, there is no statutory obligation for radio shows to be balanced, except for in the run up to election time when each major party must get roughly the same amount of air time.

The problem behind the same old hacks appearing on shows over and over again is often one of time and resources, or lack thereof. Researchers and producers would generally love to have new, interesting and informative voices colouring each discussion; but when you are faced with three or four topics to set up and briefs to write by that day's airtime, finding fresh fascinating guests can seem like a distant luxury.

This is particularly relevant for daily talk shows. However, I think tv shows like Q&A have no excuse whatsoever - they definitley have the time and resources to be fresh, so lack of imagination or research must play a part here.

monument

Here's an interisting experiment on these lines being run in the UK...

This blog is a bit of an experiment. After years of finding case studies through friends of friends, and word of mouth on forums, websites and PR wires, we decided to see if social media can improve the process.

On the site, you can see a range of requests from journalists who are looking for case studies. If you're able to help, use the contact button on the posting, or leave a comment. You can see recent requests on the blog front page, as well as browse through requests using the category links on the right.

http://www.gettingink.typepad.com/journos/

(found vie here)

The_Minister

jdivision wrote: »

Radio must provide balanced coverage and therefore you get the he says she says debate.

What about that period where James Reilly was on all the radio shows ranting, with no rebuttal speaker? I counted at least three times in one fortnight.

jdivision

And later on was there not a reply from The Minister's office? If not, that's the press office's fault. Radio likes to change up its news stories every two to three hours so if the goverment line isn't leading after that it's basically the press office's fault.

Roanmore

The_Minister wrote: »

What about that period where James Reilly was on all the radio shows ranting, with no rebuttal speaker? I counted at least three times in one fortnight.

What about George Hook having a Government Minister on every week on his show giving them a soft interview. If ever a difficult question comes they basically tickle his belly and say ah George I'm not going into that now and they both laugh it off. This was particularly evident before the election and carried on after.
What's worse is the ad for Hook on TV has him saying "I've asked you three times now Minister blah blah blah", must have been recorded in an empty studio.

santosubito

Roanmore wrote: »

What about George Hook having a Government Minister on every week on his show giving them a soft interview. If ever a difficult question comes they basically tickle his belly and say ah George I'm not going into that now and they both laugh it off. This was particularly evident before the election and carried on after.
What's worse is the ad for Hook on TV has him saying "I've asked you three times now Minister blah blah blah", must have been recorded in an empty studio.

Yes. Hook has this brand of being a no-nonsense hard taskmaster. But of the three evening shows, I think he is by far the softest interviewer. Full of sound and fury...