Why So?

[needawin]

Why does everyone being interviewed on TV begin their answer to a question with the word "So".

[royfromaus]

They don't

[Bobbisox1]

Ask Andy Hughes ( haha )

[THECORBYLOON]

One interviewer began his questions with "Anyway" in retaliation.

'Interviewee: ‘So one of the ways in which we add value for our customers...’

JH: ‘Anyway what market share do you now claim?’

Interviewee: ‘So in total we have around 40 to 50 per cent market share.’

JH: ‘Anyway what vertical sectors do you have the biggest customer base in?’

Interviewee (flustered): ‘Well, so we have significant constituencies of, er, customers...’

JH: ‘Anyway how many of those are SMEs?’

Interviewee (losing it): ‘Er, the, er, approximately, er, 25 per cent...’

As ye so, so shall ye reap.'

[needawin]

Royfromaus did you watch the Helen Whately "Care Minister" interviews. Every sentence begins with "so".

[Old_Geezer]

So what ? It's how they speak init.

[fiction-factory]

Because they feel comfortable doing it (we all have habits like that- whether it's saying 'like' or 'right' or 'the thing is' or 'you know' or 'innit' ("I'm going to the shops innit")
Or it gets the tongue in gear when they start a new answer. Some use it deliberately though as away of not answering the question but saying what they want to say.

[fiction-factory]

It's not new either- I remember discussing this 'so' phenomenon about 5 years ago.