Sky News: Presentation Discussion

Some details about the U.S election coverage in this press release about the launch of a new American version of the Sky News website,


http://skynews.skypressoffice.co.uk/press-releases/items/2012-10/2799/sky-news-launches-us-homepage

Now that's interesting. Sky News has long been rumoured to be seeking to increase distribution into the US, but I've heard that FOX News didn't want Sky News launching in the US as they thought it would show them up.

A shame Anna Botting won't be back in time for the coverage.

Sky News have been providing quite extensive coverage over the last few days of the search for little April Jones in mid-Wales, with Kay Burley co-anchoring Sunrise and 1400-1700, and Jeremy Thompson anchoring 1000-1400 and 1700-1900 from the area.

JT, similarly to Tim Willcox on the BBC, has been anchoring from a fixed position in Machynlleth, interviewing experts and local residents etc.

Kay Burley, on the other hand, is roving around the place. Yesterday afternoon she was perched on a riverbank, providing analysis of search and rescue personnel trying to launch a boat on the river. And in the last hour or so, she's been following police officers search the area around a house where the man arrested has lived. And when I say 'following', I mean practically hanging on to their coats. At one point, a group of police officers crossed a very narrow bridge across the river and started searching undergrowth on a very steep riverbank. And what did Burley and her cameraman do? Oh yes . . . right behind them.

This is obviously a tragic story, to which everyone wants a happy outcome. However I'm really starting to question the merits of literally sticking a camera into every search that is carried out. There's no new information. What is the aim here? Do they actually want to have a camera around just on the off chance that something is found?

Of course, the sensitivity of Kay Burley is also being questioned on social media at the moment. But my issue is not with the presenter, its with the editorial decisions being made.

TBH if I was a missing child and Kay Burley was hunting for me I'd be quite tempted to stay hidden.

Sounds like there won't be anyone senior left in London during the US Election! The graphics I've seen so far look very nice though.

Adam Boulton hosted the debate programme on Sky News last night. Theres still over a month until voting!

Without meaning to sound pedantic, before November 6th, around half of Americans will have already cast their votes.

All I've seen is the one strap which I hate, it doesn't represent anything. Are there any other graphics?

There has been a white house background for splitscreen. I am missing the special election music bed and TOTH and I hope there will be a special voiceover intro of all presenters in the U.S. as four years ago.

Four years ago this really was a masterpiece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWJDl7DBDo0

Oh. Painful. Painful. Painful.

Kay Burley speaking to some of the family members (I think) in the April Jones case, unawares that those members were not aware that the enquiry has now become a murder enquiry. Kay, essentially, assumed they did know and then had to break the news to them, LIVE on Sky News.

Powerful reaction from them and, I have to say, despite what we all think of Kay Burley, she handled the situation very well.

Kay is rather good at this type of coverage on location. It's just a real shame that it's the disappearance of a child in this case.

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.