Comments on: Noblesse d’Etat

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 03 Jul 2004 17:25:32 +0000

The complaint was made to the Irish Embassy because it had informed the White House that RTE is a legitimate news organisation.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 18:04:12 +0000

I don’t think many companies will be complaining about the amount of tax they have to pay the Irish government.

By: Giles

Giles — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 16:38:56 +0000

we dont know what the complaint was about – maybe they were complaining that the Irish taxpayer (inlcuding US company’s) are forced to pay for Ms Colemans monologue?

By: Dave F

Dave F — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 11:12:17 +0000

Haven’t seen the interview so can’t comment on how rude it was. But as a journalist. I observe that a lot of reporters –– usually from the BBC or one of the chattering classes papers –– ask questions that actually contain the answers they want to get. When your questions are longer than the answers and don’t get you anywhere, you’re just screwing up. It’s spectacle, not interviewing. Paxman’s show is about Paxman’s views, not the person he’s grilling. I fully support the pursuit of a probing line of questioning. But that is a subtle art rarely seen now. Rudeness is self-defeating. The funniest unintentional self-parody of British journalistic technique I’ve seen is the question hurled at the unsuspecting Tony Blair, as he headed for a Euro meeting: “Do you have blood on your hands, Prime Minister?” That is not a question expecting the answer yes or no, obviously; it is a not very veiled accusation. Blair didn’t reply, but the reporter had had his moment. Of what value is this to the inquiring viewer?

By: JamesW

JamesW — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 09:19:53 +0000

Remember Silvio Berlusconi’s speech to the pretty genteel European Parliament when Italy took over the EU chair? Faced with heckling from a Green German MEP, he blew up and compared his challenger to a concentration camp guard. It tells you a lot about the man’s cosseted environment at home.

By: Canuck watching in shock+awe

Canuck watching in shock+awe — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 23:21:05 +0000

I’m in agreement with Greg who posted much earlier… As I watched the interview I felt Ms. Coleman only “interrupted” when she could hear The Chimp winding down his blather. But, after the first time, it almost seemed he was setting a little trap for her. As soon as she’d jump in he’d reprimand her. Then, in his arrogant, smirky, elitist way, sniff in the air and add some additional Politbureau propaganda. It didn’t have to make sense (Pakistan a democracy? the world a safer place? )… it didn’t have to be on topic… it just had to… um… fill time. … And I, too, was incredulous at that plank-in-your-eye chestnut he spouted… Why doesn’t America fix its own schools, its own prison system, its own economy, its own corruption etc. etc. before deciding to invade another country in the name of “freedom”. Sheesh… excuse me while I puke…. —after reading the posts on the interview I was expecting some hard hitting questions and a real exchange—I was underwhelmed by it all… The Chimp can only rhyme of passages learned by heart—he cannot give a thoughtful or insightful answer because, of course, chimps aren’t capable of that…

By: bryan

bryan — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 21:15:27 +0000

if only the press were as nice as dave then there wouldn’t be any problem.

By: robbo

robbo — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 20:37:34 +0000

Hilarious that Craig Howard compares Clinton’s alleged “meltdown” to Bush’s embarrassing little fit of pique. Clinton calmly chided his interviewer for wasting such a large percentage of his face time rehashing the Monica Lewinsky affair—as if it was some sort of scoop! If you can’t tell the difference between Clinton’s performance and Bush’s pathetic meltdown in the face of a real journalist, you’re hopeless. In reality, however, I think that Craig and all the other Bush apologists know exactly what a failure they have in W—but they perceive some personal gain from having the chimp stay in office. So they’ll screw the rest of us. It’ll be a long, hot summer as we see how far the wingnuts will go to retain raw power, er, I mean the reins of prudent and well-reasoned governance.

By: dave

dave — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 19:21:23 +0000

I agree with the comment of chris, namely, if you don’t want a Euro-style interview-don’t sit for one. It appears doubtful that there is a ruder or less intelligent press anyplace in the world that can hold a candle to those dumber than shit ones from the British Isles. And, don’t get me started on the alcoholic ones from Ireland.

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 19:16:50 +0000

It’s a good thing the interruption caused such a stir, because the interview itself was shat. Like Colemen said, the questions were approved by the whitehouse 3 days in advance, this wasn’t a serious interrogation. It’s only because the press is so managed and lifeless that this comes across as a gripping interview worthy of note. As for someone’s comment above, yeah Paxman’s job on Blair was much better, but still left a LOT to be desired. Still, you gotta start somewhere.

By: Chris Lawrence

Chris Lawrence — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 11:22:32 +0000

First, I agree the protest is silly. You don’t want a Euro-style interview—don’t sit for one. Second, however, I think that such interview practices are only slightly more preferable than the American practice of Dowdifying interviews (see, e.g., Tom Brokaw’s recent interview with Pres. Bush). In any event, at least one observer thought Bush did a good job.. and that he should engage in such interviews more often.

By: Matt McGrattan

Matt McGrattan — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 10:10:41 +0000

Bill Clinton didn’t have a meltdown on Panorama! Far from it. What bizarre parallel universe are you in?

By: maurinsky

maurinsky — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 07:14:01 +0000

Craig Howard – what color is the sky in your world? I remember reading the paper every day in the 90s, and it was all about Bill Clinton’s tawdry personal life. That’s the only thing the U.S. Media paid any attention to. And if Bill Clinton had a “meltdown”, then George W. Bush spontaneously combusted.

By: Craig Howard

Craig Howard — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 04:58:46 +0000

And a P.S. I suspect that this report of a formal complaint will turn out to be false.

By: Craig Howard

Craig Howard — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 04:55:18 +0000

I haven’t yet listened to the exchange, but the audio is posted on a prominent American website, Lucianne.com, as an example of Euro-rudeness. It is true that the press in Ireland and England are much more confrontational than ours (ours don’t ask much, they just draw their own conclusions out of whole cloth). This is similar to Bill Clinton’s grilling and subsequent meltdown on Panorama last week. No journalist in the U.S. ever dared confront him on his tawdry little personal life.