Sky News | General Discussion

Here's an example. On Sunday, The Observer had an article about low-paid workers across Britain being 'forced' to live in vehicles. They featured Bristol.

This was the headline:-

Hundreds of low-paid workers across Britain are forced to live in vehicles.

Today, Sky News has a report with this headline:-

Hundreds of people in the UK are being forced to live in cars and caravans because their salaries do not cover the rising cost of rent.

Sky News featured Bristol, too!!

Almost the same headline (using the emotive 'forced'), and the same location (even though it's supposedly an 'across Britain' problem).

I'd go further... His presentation is wooden, his reading of a prompter is laboured and he oozes a creepy smugness down the camera at viewers. Add to this that there is now an established pattern of outbursts that question his temperament as somebody who is asked to interview others. He's becoming a liability.

His delivery at the first Sky News leader's debate was awful and in the opening shot he actually looks shocked that he's on television. It's quite bizarre.

He sucked on The Boulton Factor, he sucked on Sky News Tonight. He was crap at moderating the first leaders' debate and he's awful on All Out Politics.

He's not a television presenter, he shouldn't be a television presenter.

What Boulton did quite well, however, was to be the bloke stood in Downing Street providing analysis and insight into the world of politics.

Why on earth broadcasters take individuals who have excelled in an analytical role and shove them in a studio to ask others to analyse for them is beyond me. It's not using your talent pool to the best of their ability.

Niall Paterson is exactly the person who I would be asking to front All Out Politics. He can present, he can interview and he doesn't leave the viewer feeling like they need instant access to a chemical shower.

He's in a tricky situation right now on Sky News - he's interviewing somebody about the workplace behaviour of the speaker of the House of Commons.

His interviewee stressing that it's not particularly correct to be shouting offensive language at your subordinates.

The sexist man that is Adam Boulton needs shuffling along, he doesn't share the views of the current day Sky News. Off he should trot with the likes of Sissons. Referring to the Deputy Political Editor as 'she' and 'move along', sit her there'. He's vile, always has been. Poor Beth looked visibly shaken. A disgusting clip that as mentioned above reminds me immediately if not anywhere near as severe as the RyanAir rant.

Sky News' line that 'Adam was operating in a high-pressure live TV environment' looks particularly weak.

Whether he was shouting at or about a man or a woman is irrelevant. Throwing a tantrum in a work environment - any work environment - is unprofessional and intimidating and aggressive behaviour towards a colleague is a always a human resources matter.

Excusing his outburst as though its to be expected because 'hey, it's live TV, folks', undermines Sky News' authority to shine a light on the behaviour of other high profile wazzocks and hold them to account - something that a news organisation needs to be able to do on a daily basis.

Well said.

I've seen tantrums like that by both male and female employees towards both men and women.

Speaking as someone who was badly bullied in a previous job by a female manager and subsequently led me to suffer from depression and anxiety, it's not pleasant.

I did see Adam interviewed at a Media Sociey event in London a few years ago and he didn’t come across as particularly warm.

Some views he expressed, such as phone hacking at the News Of The World being much ado about nothing, surprised me.

Very unpleasant behaviour from Boulton, behaviour that shouldn’t be acceptable in any workplace. TV presenters should be capable of coping in high pressure environments, it’s part of the job.

As others have said, Boulton is not a natural on TV, and very much represents a different era. Sky should take the opportunity to drop him in my opinion.

That video of Adam Boulton is very damming. Swearing repeatedly and while some swearing happens off air not that extent as you never know when you could be inadvertently cut to live. Not to mention the fact he shouts and swears to Beth Rigby but also at least one other colleague in that clip, it’s disgusting and the Sky News’ “live TV is a high pressure situation” doesn’t wash unfortunately. Any situation can be high pressured and unacceptable behaviour is no excuse, I’m sure it’s also a high pressured situation if the Tills go down in Tesco but I don’t expect the manager to tell Julie on till 3 to “sit the xxxx down”.



Here, here

As someone who has a job in retail, I can tell you there is enough pressure when the till are working, never mind when they aren't.

However, the point does still stand. For most people, acting in such a manner at work would result in disciplinary action at best, or a P45 at worst. The statement from Sky News really does not excuse his actions and I have to agree with the comments of others, that he should be dropped as a presenter. He wasn't a good presenter to start with, and this certainly hasn't helped his image or the image of Sky News, as an organisation.

DROP indeed.

I do have some sympathy for Bolton - it is clear that some of the people behind the scenes are incompetent or are not communicating with him effectively.

I'm not excusing his behaviour or suggesting it's ok, but when you just want to get the job done and people keep fecking you around, I can see how that would be frustrating.