ITV News

Yes, it's just the news.... which has always traditionally been presented from behind a desk (at least in this country anyway). And what with the recent belief that news is better read standing up, I'd say that it is rather a miracle if nowadays you see the presenters seated behind a desk for the entirety of a news bulletin! It's just a shame that news editors haven't fully grasped the concept of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Even Julie Etchingham resists temptation on rare occasions to fiddle with her 'state of the art' touch screen ('state of the art' in this case meaning '1990s').


Er... on a side note - anyone else noticed that the ITV News 'live' bug on the left hand side of the screen was situated in a more appropriate place on today's EN, instead of lingering on top of Tom Bradby's or Daisy McAndrew's hairdos? Put simply, it looked as if someone had moved it* more to the left and more to the top of the screen.

*'It' being the 'live' bug, not Tom Bradby's hair.

Re: the standing up issue. I've always felt actually the Evening News had it spot on since 2004 - on their feet for the headlines and top story, then back at the desk, up again for the special report midway through, and again at the end for the close.


Really though it's just a cheap shot - and I can't say I've ever seen a comment anywhere that C4 News would be improved if Jon Snow remained seated throughout.

Don't know about that. Fox News' 'BillBoard' (and CNN's Magic-thingy) was specifically developed for the US Elections. i.e. this year.

Although their's is alot better, reminds me of the iPhone...

Just looks so pointless when they're basically using the touch screen just to tell the screen to change images - looks much better when they do it without it.

What next then - flip charts?

Graphically, technically and the way it is executed I challenge anyone to find a fault with Julie's touch screen. But it is pointless, interrupts the flow of the show and we learn nothing from it. It wouldn't seem out of place on the Lunchtime News, but because of the presentation style it just doesn't suit News at Ten at all. Its very gimmicky.

By the way, does Julie's touch screen actually exist (ie some form of board with button markers and where to point on) or does she just point at mid air like a weathergirl and the graphics are added on later by the clever people?

The touch screen is a glorified plasma screen. It's encased in a CSO green box. The NAT glass look doesn't exist - it's just the VR computer that does all that. In fact, if the touch screen is used, Julie pre-records the sequence in the old ITV studio before the programme. It isn't a real touch screen per se - the bits that are needed are all queued up and every time she touches the screen, it plays the next bit. Effectively, she could touch the screen anywhere and it would still work.

I know its a quite insignificant thing but Nina always makes me smile because of her height, and when shes stood up at the start of the show she is always towered by the male presenter

Which is why I feel that news would be better read from a desk! It's ridiculous having Nina strain her neck just to look at Mark's face, never mind the fact that she only appears to come up to his elbow. I'm not sure if I agree with the whole 'the average viewer won't notice the difference between standing/sat down etc'. Surely when the whole standing up thing was introduced, the 'average viewer' - who was until that point used to seeing news from a desk - would have commented on this new "innovation"? That being said I do agree they're probably not all that bothered how the news is read. They'll notice , that's true, but they'll not be bothered that much whether the news is read standing up, sat down, hanging from the ceiling, floating in mid-air, from a helicopter. But certainly in my house family members have commented on the ridiculous and, yes, humorous difference in height between some of the male and female newscasters like Mark and Nina.

Don't know if its just me but todays lunchtime news was with Mary and Katie.

First time I've saw two females present the national news on ITV.

Its not the first time but its a long time since this happened. I dont ever remember seeing Mary on the lunchtime news before. Makes a nice change.

It's the first time that I have seen Katie and Mary present together but Katie has presented the Lunchtime News with Nina on at least one occasion.

Edit: Richard, I'm fairly sure Mary has co-presented the Lunchtime News before, though that too was quite some time ago.

Always thought when Katie and Mary basically shared the Evening News role that when Mark was away they should host together rather than getting which ever random male stand in was available.