"Vox pop" on the News

[Twa Cairpets]

Just a short rant.

It may just be as a result of ageing, but I'm find myself wanting to yell at the TV when the News comes on and interviews are held with members of the public to, presumably, "highlight the voice of the people". Last night for example:

Story on non-succession of catholics to the crown:
"What do you think?" to punter leaving church
"I think its a bad thing"

Story on Spain's World Cup win:
"How do you feel" to Spanish woman
"I feel very happy"

WTF? It's like stealing seconds of life. I don't care about the views of a random punter who suddenly has a microphone stuck in his face. At the very most, it adds a little bit of local colour, but what possible value does it add? When the reporter then uses these tiny little bits of vox pop to draw conclusions which are either obvious or banal (or both): "The feeling on the street is obviously that catholics aren't happy", "well, the Spanish are very happy", its just lazy, lowest common denominator stuff.

Does ma napper.

[RyeSloan]

Agree entirely!!

Vox Pop's are not 'news' and rarely if ever actually add any analysis or alternative angle to the piece in question..

Rant on TC, rant on :greengrin

[lyonhibs]

It's not the replies per se that irritate me, it's the recurring fashion with which the media extrapolate the opions of "Jimmy fae Bathgate" or "Deidre from Margate" to somehow represent the views of the populace on multi-layered and sometimes seriously complex issues, as if we would all give banal one sentence answers.

Therefore the media gets to pursue it's own agenda with the supposed backing of "normal" good people of Great Britain (depending on the topic/agenda of the day, they may use the phrase "British taxpayers" to really, you know, ram home the validity of their moral agenda)

It's a load of old bollocks, with us much validity as these cosmetics adverts that say "voted the top foundation by women" and then you see in small print

"Sample size = 83 women sampled between April and June 2010 after being plied with free champers"

Crock of pish.

[Pretty Boy]

I hate this on the news. Some random person cornered in the street and held up as the voice of reason for the British people.

The only thing that irritates me more is when a reporter 'broadcasts live' from a location hours after the last press release has come out and everyone has gone home for the night. We essentially see a sodden reporter standing in a street with a closed door behind them or the ****ing New Scotland Yard sign spinning in the background. I can understand them being there during the day when various statements are being released and so on but i fail to see what is added to the report by them standing in the dark at 10.30 at night.

[Hibee-Bongo]

This sums it up pretty well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI

[Twa Cairpets]

This sums it up pretty well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI

Genius, brilliant.

That 100% summarises it.

[Jack]

I was going to disagree but I find myself agreeing at a level … but these punters aren’t the worst thing on the news.

What I find even more irritating is the fact that the news is not facts its all wee nursery stories, like the ones your 5 year old daughter makes up when she’s speaking to her dollies. In fact they're worse because sometimes my daughter used to consider things that were beyond the end of our street. More and more its someone’s opinion and TBH I consider their opinion no more important than say the folk they corner on the street. :grr:

But even more annoying than that is the way the accentuate the wrong parts of sentences – like the bloody Australians, but worse. Just say what you have to say – and stop bloody waving your hands about, you're not directing traffic! :grr: :grr:

But even even more worse than that worse is the head slightly at an angle – LOOK OUT MISSUS YOUR HEIDS ABOUT TO ROLL OFF! – stand up straight FFS, I keep thinking my telly’s squint. :grr: :grr: :grr:

And the even even even more more worse than that is that they flaming loves themselves and if they weren't in front of a camera you cant help get the feeling they'd be in front of a mirror all bloody day talking to themselves. :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Sick Boy]

This sums it up pretty well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI

Haha, that's absolutely spot on!:thumbsup:

[down-the-slope]

Haha, that's absolutely spot on!:thumbsup:

I guess the punters doing a vox pop on why vox pops are pointless don't do irony :rolleyes:


:crazy: