FORTUNATELY for the electorate, Britain can boast quality daily newspapers which have shown themselves capable of holding to account our elected representatives and agencies of the state.
However, it would appear that the sense of mission embraced by such papers has yet to filter through to the majority of present-day television journalists.
A skilful political interviewer can serve the audience by eliciting the type of information electors wish to know when casting votes at the ballot box. In doing so, the interviewer becomes a significant part of the democratic process. Regrettably, in many cases there appears to be a tendency for interviewers to regard themselves, rather than the interviewees, as the centre of the process.
A striking example of this tendency was provided on BBC1's Sunday Politics Scotland at the weekend when Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont was interviewed by the show's anchorman, Gary Robertson. I doubt whether Ms Lamont was permitted to complete a single sentence due to the discourteous interviewing style of Mr Robertson. Consequently, viewers will have been left wondering what messages Ms Lamont wished to convey at this crucial period in the history of Scotland. This was, by definition, a failed interview.
Broadcasting organisations could do worse than sit their presenters in front of a video screen and insist that they learn from some of the great interviewers of the past. Names like Brian Walden come to mind when thinking of tenacious, skilful and ultimately successful contributors to our democracy. Not everyone needs to be Jeremy Paxman.
John Kelly,
65 Hunter Road,
Milngavie.
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