Jump to main navigation | Jump to content |
To watch these videos outside of the Channel 4 Player, you need Windows Media Player
Alex Thomson is a presenter and chief correspondent for ITN's Channel 4 News. He has been with the programme since 1988. In that time, he has covered more than 18 major wars and conflicts around the world, for example in Iraq, Somalia, Lebanon, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Afghanistan. Before joining ITN, he was a reporter on the BBC Northern Ireland current affairs programme Spotlight.
Alex answered 9 questions related to presenting a news programme.
Question 1
| Q: For a presenter, what are the worst things that can happen while the programme is on air? What happens if the autocue fails?
A: Alex says that he always has a sheet of paper with notes which he can refer to if the autocue fails. Some of the worst things that have happened on air are having a guest that doesn't speak English, politicians walking off the show in disgust and technical problems.
Question 2|Q: How are interview questions prepared for the show and is it a joint effort between the presenter, producer and programme editor? How often are questions spontaneous and based on answers given by the guest?
A: Alex says that it really depends on the situation: if it's a studio debate that has been prepared in advance, the programme editor and producer would be very involved, whereas if an interview finally comes through shortly before the programme goes on air, the presenter comes up with the questions off the cuff. When he has to come up with questions at the last minute, Alex says that he always tries to think of questions that the viewers would want to ask.
Question 3|Q: Typically, what will the programme editor be telling you through your earpiece while the show is on air? Is the programme editor the only person that will talk to you?
A: Alex says that the programme editor will only occasionally talk to him through his earpiece during interviews to tell him, for example, to press the guest for an answer. The studio director, however, will talk to him frequently during the show to give him directions such as what camera to turn towards and what is coming up next. Alex says that he usually only thinks of the next thing he is going to do and the studio director is the person who guides everyone through the programme.
Question 4|Q: Can it be distracting to have someone talking to you while you are presenting?
A: Alex says that presenting the news while having people talk to him through his earpiece is just like doing any two things at once, for example chatting to someone and talking on the phone simultaneously. He says that most people would probably be amazed at how much chatter he hears through his earpiece, because not only does he hear people directly talking to him, he also hears the studio director talking to everyone else in the gallery. Sometimes, Alex may ask to have his earpiece turned off during an interview by pointing to his ear when he is not on camera.
Question 5|Q: Does presenting the news require acting skills? Do presenters usually have voice training, or does speaking and having a presence on camera come naturally?
A: Alex says that yes, there is a certain degree of acting involved in presenting since the television studio is an unnatural environment and is similar to being on stage. The tone of his voice, for example, changes when he presents a happy story followed by a sad one; and although there is real emotion involved, he isn't supposed to let his own feelings come through. Voice training is available, although he has never had any, and he says that having a presence on camera partly comes naturally but is also something acquired with practice. When he looks back at old tapes of himself presenting, he often cringes with embarrassment!
Question 6|Q: Does a news programme have to be sensationalistic to keep people's interest?
A: Alex says that news doesn't have to be sensationalistic; it has to be interesting and present important information that those in power might not want people to have. News tries to be riveting and engaging so that viewers will keep watching the programme for the whole 50 minutes. By nature, news focuses on dramatic events, but a sensationalist news agenda might contain things like car crashes and weird police chases and would never start with a serious economic issue.
Question 7|Q: Does the news attempt to give people a realistic representation of what is going on in the world and should it? Is it fair to say that the news often seems to highlight negative events and paint a bleak view of the world?
A: Alex says that news looks at dramatic events and although it often shows things that have gone wrong, it also features positive stories like royal weddings or hostages being released. Television news provides an edited view of dramatic events and is not a representation of everything going on in the world. Telling viewers about disasters causes people to see where there are major problems and often they will give money to help out.
Question 8|Q: Have you ever felt uncomfortable presenting something that has been prepared? Can you give an example of a situation where this has happened?
A: Alex says that each person in the newsroom would probably have their own running order of stories for the day, so if it was completely up to him, he might choose to present the day's stories in a different order. Although the whole news team will discuss the running order of a programme, at the end of the day one person has to make the final decision and that's the programme editor.
Question 9|Q: Can you describe what you would consider to be a good interview and can you give an example of one?
A: Alex says that his interview with David Cameron, the potential leader of the Conservative party, about his alleged use of cocaine when he was an MP was memorable to him. The interview was very off the cuff since Cameron only agreed to be interviewed 10 minutes before the show started - the interview ended with Alex asking him just to say 'no' if he hadn't used cocaine when he was an MP, and David Cameron said 'no'. Alex thinks it was an important issue to clear up from someone making policy, and getting David Cameron to give such a definitive answer made the news and the papers the next day.
