Same old interviewees

Is it just me getting fed up of seeing the same interviewees all the time on news channels and programmes?

It just smacks of lazy journalism that every time there's a vaguely travel related story, Simon Calder, travel writer from The Independent, is wheeled out in all his creepy wide-mouthed glory. And it doesn't seem to matter which channel. In fact I wonder how he manages to find time to write for The Independent when he always seems to be on one channel or another. Surely there are other people who can talk about travel related issues.

He's by no means the only suspect. There are other campaigners for civil liberties than Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty, other aviation experts than Christian Wolmar, and other commentators on Royal issues than Dickie Arbiter. So the list goes on.

I accept that these people may know their stuff, be media friendly, and easily available, but surely getting a range of views is more important.

I also think it can send out the wrong message, particularly in the case of Shami Chakrabarti. The lack of other interviewees championing civil liberties could easily give the impression that she's a one-woman campaign, and a lone voice - a position which arguably could undermine the civil liberty movement as a whole.

I'd be interested to know others' thoughts.

BBC Breakfast often use the same people, which I find annoying - but I can understand it because they can rely on these people to perform well, and not dry up or become boring. However, I would like to see them used less and more variety.

Anyone in Scotland will know what I mean when I say....

Professor Hugh Pennington.
http://www.stv.tv/archive/images/240907professor_pennington2.jpg
This boy is wheeled out for anything remotely disease like

For those of us in Yorkshire or unfamiliar with the Yorks and Lincs thread...

Dickie Bird anyone?

He seems to get wheeled out UK wide.

Also Joshua Rozenburg is always on when a legal expert is required, interesting considering he used to be the BBC's Legal Affairs editors; presumably till they removed the post.

Dame Ann Leslie of the Daily Mail IIRC. Urgh. She was there almost every week on News 24's Head 2 Head and is wheeled in for almost every Dateline London and most paper reviews on any channel. As too is some other equally annoying woman called Jasmin I think.

Edmund King of the RAC Foundation used to bore me to tears every time he was wheeled out for anything remotely to do with motoring.

That was a while ago, and we see far less of him nowadays, thank goodness.

I also note that he's defected. The last time I noticed him pop up on an interview he'd become Edmund King of the AA.

Aviation: Chris Yates
Economics: Justin Erquart-Stuart

The main one is surely when there is a story anything to do with money, finances or the economy on a less highbrow programme or channel

'It's 6.10am and you're watching the news hour, Joining us now is money saving expert Martin Lewis who must have already drunk 24 coffees this morning'

Christian Wolmar is Railways



true, but isn't Shami the spokeswoman for Liberty? If so it's her job

Yep he is.

Are Shami Chakrabati and Reeta Chakrabati related? I can't find any evidence to suggest they are.