News presenters using their hands
We have noticed more and more that young, mostly young women, news presenters constantly using their hands in an exaggerated way to make points whilst they are speaking. It is obviously the way they are being trained, as the seasoned presenters and news readers don’t do this. Is it only us that find this extremely irritating?
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I have not noticed but will keep an eye out.
David
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I'm definitely with you DEBSC. It's something I've been aware of for some years now and it's a pain in the bum to watch. I usually shout at the screen "Keep your blooming hands still".
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Can't say I've noticed either. Don't the majority of women 'speak with their hands'? I hope this post doesn't attract a feminist militia demanding my head on a sharpened stick.
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What i have noticed is a lot of reporters especially on location, are always reading from their phone or tablet.
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I guess a lot of folk of any gender speak with varying parts of their anatomy. Very few engage their brains.
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Since DEBSC started this topic I have been paying attention to the various broadcasters have seen. Thus far I can't recall seeing any exaggerated behaviour. I think when you are in a standing position you do tend to emphasis by hand movement. Are there particular culprits you have in mind?
David
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Not a news broadcaster, but Lucy Verasamy takes some beating for exaggerated hand gestures.
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I've not noticed at all, but really does it matter? It is what they are saying that counts?
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Finally sanity-thank you C👍🏻. I watch the news & regardless of gender I expect-them to speak in a way I understand, give relevant info, give factual info. Their hand or head movements don’t alter the news, their gender nor looks don’t either. I think their job title kinda gives away what is expected of them👍🏻
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Perhaps the News programmes need a new introductory jingle - "You need hands" Max Bygraves
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I have noticed that newsreaders no longer read news. They tell us what they think the politicians they don't like are thinking, tell us that they don't believe what the politicians they don't like are saying, etc. Using hands is irritating, but using their imagination is even worse.
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Oh wow, really glad to see this OP - only just discovered by me (I don't often get to this part of the discussions). Why, you may ask? Well, because, yes, I have definitely seen this, noticed it, registered it and wondered why the heck they feel the need to do these really rather silly and unnecessary hand gestures.
It is particularly prevalent on my local news (East Midlands Today/Tonight). I wonder if they are trained to do it; I could not make my mind up about that.
It is true, however, that the news readers are not at a desk. They either stand or sit on a sofa. Perhaps it is that that tends to lead naturally to the exaggerated hand gestures. I do remember very clearly an actor once saying that "what to do with your hands" is one of the most difficult things to learn and not be self conscious of. Perhaps it is the same for these news readers. Either way, trivial though it is, I find it particularly annoying.
As for culprits, Elise Chamberlain - probably unknown outside of the East Midlands (permanently I imagine) - is one I can certainly name. But most of the news readers on East Midlands tend to do it to one extent or another. Chamberlain also has an incredibly irritating habit of walking (clomp-clomp-clop) from off-stage to her standing position as the opening music for the late night bulletin fades. Plainly some producer thought that was a good idea. It isn't.
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It is your imagination that perceives the bias. I see bias sometimes, but I have to realise it is actually my own bias that is driving what I think I see.
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So the autocue and script provided by the news editors is just for show then?
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A rather silly point. The clue is in the word ‘exaggerated’, not hand gestures per se.
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Perhaps you’d prefer Teleprompter?
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It does seem pointless that on teleVISION we have to see for long periods of time a person reading the news, rather than pictures of the item. We might as well never have bothered leaving listening to the wireless.
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Hooray for the "Home Service"
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The one thing I've noticed (especially Huw Edwards) is that when quoting someone (the Prime Minister said he was 'pleased with the roll out') he looks at the piece of paper in his hand which says exactly what is on the telescreen in front of him....weird.
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Unfortunately a lot of the news presenters today only inform the public of the speculative veiws /agenda of the channel / news groups they supposedly represent.
Wether they(the presenters) use their hands or not the News is now a mere collection of daily entertainment stories which reflect the highs & lows of today's modern society's wants & needs.
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} ~~ definitely a problem on the early Covid - 19 programmes in the afternoon.
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