Talking heads
If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s talking heads – and I’m not talking about the band.
All you need to do is flip through the cable news channels, and inevitably you will see them: so-called experts seeing who can yell the loudest about the federal bailout, the credit crisis, the swine flu. Too often, these “round table” discussions degenerate into screaming matches that turn me off.
And nothing turns me off more than when I see newspaper journalists taking part in these discussions. More often than not, the participants on these types of shows too easily begin to show their heart on their sleeve, a dangerous proposition for journalists who are supposed to be impartial.
Just the other day, I was flipping through the channels and saw a reporter from a newspaper giving his impassioned view on the state of politics in his hometown. It was clear he wasn’t thrilled with the way the city was being run, which may be true, but is something reporters should keep to themselves.
My advice to journos is this: check your ego, stay away from the camera and let your pen do the talking.
Leave a Reply