Mixed Signals
Any sufficiently advanced information is indistinguishable from noise
Thursday 8 March 2007, 11:08 AM
Facts Times Importance Equals News
It's nice to start the day with a surreal conversation. In the red corner, yours truly. In the blue corner and on the phone, a researcher from a certain TV news channel (In a totally craven and shameless attempt to preserve my chances of appearing on it, I shall not name the culprit).
TV: Hello, Rupert. We were wondering if you could help us. We're looking at the Cebit exhibition in Hanover. Are you going?
RG: Not personally, but we're sending a lot of people.
TV: And do you know what you'll be writing?
RG: Well, we've got a list of people we'll be seeing, but we won't know what the news is until it happens
TV: So you're not planning your coverage?
RG: It's just like any show, you have to go and find out.
TV: You can't tell me what the main stories are going to be?
RG: Not until they happen
TV: Oh. Is there anyone else there who does know?
RG: Errr, why don't you call me when the show's started and we've found out?
TV: (rather disappointed and sniffy) Thank you
I think what my correspondent was after was "What themes do you think will be most important at Cebit", but who can tell? And if they were, I think it's a bit of a cheek. I don't mind being asked about areas I'm more clued up on than the average business reporter; part of the job of the specialist press is to be there for our populist brethren. But big picture coverage planning - that's quite a lot to give away...
TV: Hello, Rupert. We were wondering if you could help us. We're looking at the Cebit exhibition in Hanover. Are you going?
RG: Not personally, but we're sending a lot of people.
TV: And do you know what you'll be writing?
RG: Well, we've got a list of people we'll be seeing, but we won't know what the news is until it happens
TV: So you're not planning your coverage?
RG: It's just like any show, you have to go and find out.
TV: You can't tell me what the main stories are going to be?
RG: Not until they happen
TV: Oh. Is there anyone else there who does know?
RG: Errr, why don't you call me when the show's started and we've found out?
TV: (rather disappointed and sniffy) Thank you
I think what my correspondent was after was "What themes do you think will be most important at Cebit", but who can tell? And if they were, I think it's a bit of a cheek. I don't mind being asked about areas I'm more clued up on than the average business reporter; part of the job of the specialist press is to be there for our populist brethren. But big picture coverage planning - that's quite a lot to give away...
PreviousComments on this post
The BBC are the worst. Their modus operandi is to ring up, say what a nice story you had in Widgets Weekly and would you mind giving all your contact numbers because they are the BBC and they're worth it.
Actually - what has happened to the Beeb? News 24 when I last saw it was full of misspellings on their on-screen graphics and reportage on most stuff was thin at the very least. I mean attention to detail should be the very least of the work done.
The Beeb is the best of the bunch, though. Yes there are cock-ups, but everyone takes them very seriously... although if you think there are misspellings on the astons you should see the autocue.
