Thursday 8 November 2018

Emily Maitlis offers "an unpopular opinion"



Gosh!


Unpopular with who? With her BBC colleagues maybe?

I have to say it's not unpopular with me. It fact it's the most sensible bit of reporting I've read on the BBC News website for a long while!

Jim Acosta was called on by the president to ask a question.
I'll say that again. He was called on by Donald Trump to ask whatever question he liked. And when he'd finished asking one, he then asked another - with interruption follow-ups in between.
It was only when he attempted his third question - or possibly fourth depending on how you define the follow-ups - that the president got angry and asked him to sit down.
There ensued a tussle with the mic. And weirdly ridiculous words from the president about him being a rude and terrible person.
I'm pretty sure Acosta never intended to "mistouch" the young female intern. He was just trying to hold on to the mic.
My point is this - the scene was an incredible bit of theatre. We couldn't take our eyes off it. It just went on and on.
You could argue the president came looking for it - he does well, electorally, when he's berating the press.
But make no mistake. The media also does well when they are baiting the bear. The urge to poke can sometimes seem irresistible.
So let's take a step back. What happened in that room was not the ultimate fight for press freedom. This wasn't someone risking life and limb against a regime where freedom of speech is forbidden. This was a bloke sitting in a room full of colleagues who were all trying to ask questions too.
This was a man who'd had his turn and had been told he couldn't hog the whole time.

5 comments:

  1. Did he accost 'er? That's the question.

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    Replies
    1. The Groanometer is in the red zone! :)

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    2. The coffee can't be that bad.

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    3. Acosta is certainly like those coffee machines, where you think they've just about finished before they squirt out some more unpalatable muck.

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