People Who Are Interviewed On Tv News

[hellywelly4]

Whenever a new policy is introduced by the government, there is always someone interviewed on the tv news saying that it will affect them negatively. I have often wondered where these people come from. Do they contact the tv companies themselves?

[Apc2604]

I think the media must have a compiled list of doommongers and anti government folk. Perhaps they somehow managed to get quite a few ABers in the process!

[Sunk]

Terrestrial Television news has to be impartial and not biased, which is why they actively seek out the other point of view to a story. Unfortunately that often looks like moaning for moaning’s sake.
If for example a new policy was beneficial to 95% of the population, the news will include a comment from the 5% who are against it.

[Bobbisox1]

I'm with APC , there's a load of doomongers on here who could offer their services !

[jno]

maybe that's how it should be, Sunk. I wouldn't like to see the media suppressing the fishing industry's views on the Brexit deal, for instance.

The short answer though is that reporters will have contact numbers for all sorts of people, industries, pessure groups for the topics they deal with - that's hwo they work. The reporter might call up a contact or it might be the other way round, it doesn't really matter.

[hellywelly4]

Thank you all. I never knew they HAD to have someone with opposing views on - it drives me mad!

[ToraToraTora]

you get it on here too, they think everything in the world should be tailored for them. When the vaccine was announced most of us rejoiced but some were going on about potential allergies!

[Sunk]

Jno

New Government Policies are usually known well in advanced, and pressure groups, lobbying organisations, think tanks and campaigners will all offer a press release response that will include contact details.

The Government are politically biased, so everything they do should be scrutinised by the Opposition and others who might be affected by it. That is part of democracy.

[bhg481]

If you don't want to see anyone giving opposing views you need to watch the news from one of the communist countries.

[Sunk]

It is all in here...
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/99177/broadcast-code-guidance-section-5-march-2017.pdf

[Sunk]

Tora,

This is and Q&A and discussion site. It has no pretence to be impartial, but it must be fair.
Of course there are opposing views, that is what a debate consists of.

[Canary42]

More derogatory labelling (aka smearing). I see that folk who point out flaws in society are now being labelled doom mongers. Blind faith rules OK.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah no
sunk is correct British terrestrial is reqd to be more balanced with pro and cons
and British newspapers can be more political

it makes it difficult therefore when we look at something so polarised such as the Trump election that US tv stations are NOT required to do this

two point arise
The Beeb has someone pro and someone con on just about anything. for example - lockdown bad, roll out NJ and the swedish model, lockdown good, just about anyone else

and recently we have been made aware that there are some things that pro - con doesnt work
such as Trump saying the election was stolen by fraud and criminal action

[Peter Pedant]

// I see that folk who point out flaws in society are now being labelled doom mongers.//

what is this now bit?

doncha remember Spiro T Agnew - and nattering nabobs of negativism?

a nabob was a British trader who had made truly gigantic profits from Indian trade 1800-1825 and usually like Joss in Vanity Fair adopted a very Indian (opyulent) way of life

clearly not anything Agnew thought of