Lessons for a Crisis

[DracoM]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t6ql

R4 series being chaired by Evan Davies.

Worth a listen in Covid times..........but.

Also as a way to think about / signal the NEXT such 'emergency' - because as all in this prog suggest, there will be one...or two...or............

[Katzelmacher]

Evan Davis is an appalling presenter, as his tenure on Newsnight proved. He has no more business being on radio than he has being on television.

[DracoM]

Why?

[Cockney Sparrow]

Evan Davis is an appalling presenter, as his tenure on Newsnight proved. He has no more business being on radio than he has being on television.

I'd like to know more about the attributes which in your view make him a poor presenter.

[Katzelmacher]

I'd like to know more about the attributes which in your view make him a poor presenter.

He gives an impression of being poorly-presented and of not being on top of his brief. His questions become digressions which never seem to end. His pregnant pauses are rarely brought to bed.

Basically, he’s an egghead who has wandered (or been pushed) into a media role for which he is unsuited. His well-known advocacy of neo-liberal economics also makes him suspect as a commentator for a (supposedly) politically unaligned organisation.

Emily Maitlis (who replaced him on Newsnight and who is now the BBC’s only serious journalist/presenter) is infinitely superior.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Interesting to read your views, different to mine. I don't have a view on his standpoint on economics, and it hasn't occured to me he hasn't prepared but maybe I'm not rigorous in my approach as a listener.

What I appreciate is that he asks questions and allows the interviewee time to respond, often with a discussion and bringing out information. And more specifically without having to engage in the insistent / hectoring approach which leads to the standard and utterly prevalent "dead bat" / time filling / cracked record/ denial response of interviewees. I think, at 5pm, if he took the John Humphries approach I would be playing a CD instead. Any person going onto "Today", World at One, PM, Newsnight et al will have had media training to the nth degree, particularly if a politician so the latter approach hardly results in much of interest, not that I have heard.

I am so frustrated at hearing in response to any issue "we have spent £ XXX million (billion) on .......since 20XX". Plenty of other places for combative interviewing most of which is fruitless. One exception was Andrew Neill who could pin down his prey and I would have to agree, was always prepared and very well armed with the facts. A great loss to the BBC audience.

[Katzelmacher]

Interesting to read your views, different to mine. I don't have a view on his standpoint on economics, and it hasn't occured to me he hasn't prepared but maybe I'm not rigorous in my approach as a listener.

What I appreciate is that he asks questions and allows the interviewee time to respond, often with a discussion and bringing out information. And more specifically without having to engage in the insistent / hectoring approach which leads to the standard and utterly prevalent "dead bat" / time filling / cracked record/ denial response of interviewees. I think, at 5pm, if he took the John Humphries approach I would be playing a CD instead. Any person going onto "Today", World at One, PM, Newsnight et al will have had media training to the nth degree, particularly if a politician so the latter approach hardly results in much of interest, not that I have heard.

I am so frustrated at hearing in response to any issue "we have spent £ XXX million (billion) on .......since 20XX". Plenty of other places for combative interviewing most of which is fruitless. One exception was Andrew Neill who could pin down his prey and I would have to agree, was always prepared and very well armed with the facts. A great loss to the BBC audience.

Neill’s politics are well-known. Despite that, he has been an effective interviewer when up against either side. I decided not to renew my television licence after the BBC cravenly allowed the Prime Minister to dodge his encounter with Neil, in favour of a soft stroke from Andrew Marr. The other party leaders did not evade (nor did they seek to evade) the Neill grilling.