I'm sorry, but I dislike threads like this one without something positive to praise newsreaders who read the news very well. (My goodness, I'm starting to sound like a child psychologist... )
So, let's list some
good
newsreaders currently on the air.
And just to stop pages of endless discussion about her, I'll say here and now that Moira Stuart is a brilliant newsreader and deserves all the praise she gets.
Huw Edwards is IMO the best newsreader on BBCtv at the moment (excluding Paxman of course) - he does quite well keeping it all together on the
Ten
and I very rarely hear him fluff up a line.
I think Huw Edwards and George Alagiah are the most serious and authorative news presenters around, would love to see Gordon Burns who presents NWT do nationals though.
I wish BBC News would present a new type of style:
Now the News at 10' o clock with Huw Edwards and <regional presenter>
<full sting>
"Hello, my name is Huw Edwards and the time is ten o clock. Here are todays top headlines"
"And in the North West...... "
<the sting they use half way through the 6 o clock news>
and they should have coming up in todays program at 10:15 with the regional news as well..
There are some good presenters about, Jon Sopel and Louise Minchin work well together and would be good together on the nationals, Huw is good as well. Not a fan of Fiona Bruce, George Alagiah or Natasha Kaplinsky however.
I don't like George Alagiah because of his completely unnecessary hand jestures and very false emphasis when saying:
"
B
--
B
--
C
".
(in loud voice with irrelevant pauses between letters)
If there was a 'very good' option that's what I would have selected.
Some are excellent (my personal favourites include Katie Derham, Jon Snow, Sarah Smith and Louisa Preston) but I would class the average and the majority as being very good.
Going back to what Vikki has said in the "can't read" thread; I think watching new news readers can be most enlightening. Obviously they will have had a number of rehearsals and wouldn't be allowed on air if they were complete no-hopers, yet typically they still struggle to avoid being distracted by voices from the gallery in their ear and to read the news with an appropriate tone that will keep the viewer's attention. Clearly they will improve with practice but, as per Vikki's point, I'm sure most people will accept that doing the job well involves more that just being able to read.
I suppose I should tell you who I think CAN read news. Paxman, Peter Sissons, Chris Lowe, Nicholas Owen, Alastair Stewart and Jon Sopel I think are all good at their jobs. There is others, but I can't quite think of all of them.
There is one newsreader though who stands out from all the rest and that's Moira Stuart. She's calm, collective, elegant and has dignity. Defo the best in the business. Just one question though: I haven't seen her present any news since before Christmas, and now we're in March, does anyone know where she is?
Jon Snow
Alastair Stewart
Nicholas Owen
Steve Scott
Mike Embley
David Eades
John Suchet
Penny Smith - not quite sure why
Colin Brazier -
Lucy Alexander
Mary Nightingale - she's getting much better
Dermot Murngahan
Allan King
Alright, slightly reminds me a certain websites 'performers list' but here we go.
Who can read well...
Mike Embley
Mishal Hussein
Karin Ginonne (sp?)
Sophie Raworth
Tony Champion
Huw Edwards
Eddie Mair (from his brief time on BBC Three News)
Patrick O'Connell.
Jon Snow
Samir Adnad
Charlie Stayt
Julie Etchingham
Simon McCoy
)