People may think I'm over-exaggerating but, quite frankly, I found News at Ten a little unbearable tonight. I give up most nights these days (before I get asked why I don't just turn over to one of the others), and on the occasion I tune in - hoping that for a one-off it will do what it
used
to regularly do best - it's just as watered-down as ever. Keir Simmons' report is a clear example: the graphic and voiceover used at the top of the report imitated an advertisement for a charity, as did the one used over Julie's speech about the earthquake. I know it's difficult to cover a story respectably and respectfully when that story is about an event that has affected the lives of so many people - but they just get it wrong so often, and I can't think why. They're not idiots at ITN. I suppose the 'powers that be' have the final say - even if their say is completely and fundamentally flawed...
Hmmm, that correlates almost perfectly with Deborah Turness's tenure as ITV Editor (2004-present). Coincidence?
If only ITV gave a damn about its news provision and made cuts in the right places - and I'm not talking about the budget.
ITV News has never been less respected, less trusted, less watched than under her watch. They are having a review of news at ITV right now. Time for a change, surely?
Definitely time for a change. My biggest issue - contrary to popular belief (!) - is not with the look of bulletins (though it's not perfect), but rather with the content: the way stories are covered, reports worded and way that gimmicks have taken precedence. The ITV management undertaking this review are, naturally, primarily concerned with bringing the company back to profit; there isn't a doubt in my mind that news will always come second to them. Michael Grade got a lot of stick - in some cases, rightly so - but he at least saw news as defining the channel.
The general consensus here is that ITV News was at its true height between the end of 2008 and mid-2009, when visual and verbal gimmicks were kept to a minimum, and ratings duly increased. Incidentally, that's when Turness was on maternity leave and Jonathan Munro was 'Acting Editor'. No coincidence there, is there!
ITV News's other entry - their band (including Mark Austin) won by the way.