Unit 36/37 p1

Report on different genres

LO: to understand and distinguish the different methods used in different interview genres.
News Presenter: George Alagiah & Charlie Stayt
George Alagiah is a news reporter for BBC six oclock news. The first thing I will address is his dress and
appearance. Automatically for being a news reporter it is highly expected of you to dress appropriately
(formal). Often we can find Alagiah in your basic suit and tie. Being a news reporter is serious business,
youre talking about world news here and its important you give off the impression that you mean
serious business so the audience at home can take you seriously. Alagiah would be classed as a
representative of the BBC so judging by this fact not only would his dressing have to be formal but his
attitude also which would reflect onto his body language. When he is presenting notice his posture, his
back is straight, head held high and there is no form of slouching to be noticed. The reason he must
appear like this is because 80% of a conversation is via body language. Thats what it is isnt it? A one
way conversation with the audience at home, so in order for him to gain their respect and attention he
must also portray himself as though he respects the time of the audience watching. Alagiahs tone
would have to be assertive, his language would be formal and his voice would be projected loud
enough to be heard clearly. You can also notice that even in his facial expression is quite lifeless. I
mean that in the sense that he uses no sort of expression to show his feelings towards what he
presents. For example, if the current headline was about a girl who had been brutally killed by 3 men,
unlike Charlie Stayt, it is expected for him not to be compassionate about the situation unless theres
an open discussion about it & even still then, he may be required to stay composed. Going back to his
voice again, his accent would have to be very well spoken and clean and very good tone of voice (in my
opinion, speaking the Queens English: which is preserved as well heard and very clear). I noticed that
he actually annunciates when he talks and talks at a steady pace rather than trying to rush every word
out as quickly as possible. This would link to his tone of voice which would have to compliment his
accent in order for him as a presenter can be well heard by the audience at home. Charlie Stayt is a
presenter for BBC breakfast between the hours of 0600 1000. His dress sense is formal, he comes to
present in a suit and tie, so we can already see that hes appropriately dressed for his environment,
thats one that both George and Charlie have in common. Judging by that, I am getting the impression
that it is key to look formal as possible when your presenting in the genre Hard News. Being a
breakfast news presenter usually means covering news that isnt as important. For example, he had
someone to come onto the show to talk about baseball bats, which is something you wouldnt see on
the six oclock news, so already just by the topics alone we can already start to see a difference
between the stylings of Stayt and Alagiah. The morning news is meant to start your day so I imagine
their aim isnt to start it off on a heavy not,. they want the news to be more relaxed and they want to
be able to make their audience feel comfortable enough to be aware of the things that are happening
today but in abundance. The way I see it is that Stayt has a morning shift and Alagiah has the evening
shift which results to him working harder rather than stayt. You can notice that in the way that Stayt
sits, he seems more relaxed when hes presenting on the couch, he often has his legs crossed (a sign of
often being comfortable), he gives a sense or relaxation he presents unlike George who we actually see
seems to be more fixed and more of an upright posture. From this we can already Indetify whose show
needs more of the formal criteria. Theres a kind of coolness about him people say. He is often able to
build bridges between topics so easily; this is something that Alagiah doesnt have to worry about. Due
to the fact that stayt usually has guests or a co-host on his shows hes got to be able to have good
communication skills. Alagiah does hard news which USUALLY means he is presenting by himself. The
use of building bridges is not really needed by him.
Stayts tone in his speech is quite casual, the same tone you would have when having a normal
conversation, almost like an indoor voice. This is done to keep the realism of the conversation going.
His accent is just as Alagiahs, clear, well-spoken and use of annunciation. Although sometimes he does
have conversations with just the guests, he has to bare in mind there are still people at home who are
listening. You almost forget that theyre having a casual conversation about the news which is being
filmed by a camera crew which is distributed to millions of houses every morning. I think this was done
Unit 36/37 p1
to get the audience warped into the conversations the presenter has with his guests. Conversations
tend to get more interesting when they arent scripted but rather just well thought out and prepared
for. I think thats a major difference between Alagiah and Stayt because Alagiah would have had cue
cards whereas Stayt probably had cue cards for just the presenting of every headline he wanted to
discuss and from there the hard news would then turn to either a discussion or a debate about said
headline-.
Here are some examples:











- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCz0O0yybU
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BlrGtv4cfE
DJ: Tim Westwood & Nick Grimshaw
Tim westwood is a radio DJ for BBC 1Xtra and he also has his own show Tim Westwood TV. Much different to a
news presenter Westwood is the complete opposite. His genre is hip hop, rap and urban culture, which means
that language doesnt have to be formal. Tim Westwood often appears on his shows with the dress sense of the
youth, which contradicts his age (hes 52) but I think this is a technique used to try and acquire a younger crowd.
Slang is often used from both him and the guests he has on his shows, The language often reflects the dress
senThe idea behind this is to attract a particular audience which would be the youth. The use of clothing and
language is what ties them in and want to be involved with the station. Like a news presenter however it is very
essential that when interviewing someone, Westwood keeps his voice clear (clarity of voice) and he makes sure
he projects his voice loud enough (annunciate). The kind of questions he would ask would be ones that would
appeal to the fans (nothing political), questions like whens your next album or we heard that you and ****
are having some sort of relationship? Care to talk on that? The Hot stuff. So again even the questions would
appeal to a particular audience. Nick Grimshaw: Nick grimshaw is a breakfast radio DJ for Radio 1. Nick Grimshaw
is much different to Tim westwood, his approach to interviews are much different than Tim Westwood. Ill start
off by talking about his dress code. Nick Grimshaw makes himself appear as a casual as possible. He would often
just wear a T shirt, jeans and nice shoes/sneakers. So by this we can get the impression that hes laid back but not
to laid back like Westwood, which is ironic as Grimshaw is much younger. Hes speech is very well spoken,
theres not much use of slang hes very articulate with his speech and much more formal than Tim westwood
who often uses informal language. He talks very clearly and annunciates when he talks theres no slurring of
speech, and no ill grammar. His style of interviewing can be varied from promotional to entertainment. Hes
often considerate and is careful of the way he interviews his guests. Due to the fact his show is light-hearted,
hes very light-hearted when hes asking questions which is something he has in common with westwood. Hes
able to build bridges between questions very well and makes them flow which westwood doesnt always seem to
be capable of. He never sometimes asks personal questions unlike westwood who mainly just sticks to the topic
of promotional. His body language is often of a good posture but from time to time he can be seen slouching in
his chair ever so slightly, but as I said before he can be seen as a bit laid back. Due to the fact hes able to make
the conversation flow, I would believe that he done his research with his guests, and because of his ability to
make the conversation flow I think the subjects often feel comfortable in this environment.

Here we can see George Alagiah
on the news looking very formal.
Charlie Stayt is seen here
looking a bit more relaxed
with his co-host.
Unit 36/37 p1
Here some examples:


-










- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6makSbCqRI (Tim Westwood)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0zHU_3NPDw (Nick Grimshaw)
Game show host: Noel Edmond & Anne Robinson
Noel Edmond is a host of the famous TV show known as deal or no deal. Being a presenter consists of
being able to interact with both the audience and the people on the game show it means you have to
be very versatile. My opinion of Noel Edmond is that he is a very formal game show host but at the
same time hes very relaxed, he allows the subjects to be comfortable which would enable them to
co-operate efficiently. His style would be perceived as entertainment because that would be the aim
of the show. No questions are asked besides the ones panelled for the show, or sometimes the odd
question which could be considered personal (an example can be found in this clip at 5:30). The show
is often light-hearted and can be filled with humour. His body language can be seen as quite formal
and relaxed which gives the audience the same feeling in response. Due to his whole attitude towards
the show it reflects in the subjects being comfortable. Anne Robison whos notoriously known for
hosting whos the weakest link has a whole different approach to game show hosting. Her dress sense
is very formal which reflects on her personality. Robinsons personality can be seen as blunt and
shrew. This attitude she has makes the subjects feel uncomfortable and uneasy at times. When she
asks personal questions she turns them into witty jokes, which may not be found amusing to the
subjects. Her style would be for entertainment, especially when shes known for being so blunt. Much
different from Noel Edmond, shes not as warm hearted or as welcoming. She does dress more formal
then him however and her speech is more articulate than his and her body language can be seen as
very formal. She tends to just ask direct questions and doesnt seem to waste time on anything else.
Their visual expressions are also very different. You can clearly see that Edmond likes to smile a lot
and show happiness with his hosting whereas Robinson would simply keep a straight face but would
often smirk from time to time which again reflects on the attitude they have whilst their hosting.
Tim west wood looking very casual on
the sofa whilst interviewing comedian
Kevin Heart.
Nick Grimshaw looking casual/formal in
a radio interview.
Unit 36/37 p1



- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2eha1ff-aE (Noel Edmonds)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqJVWdrd5w (Anne Robinsons)
Chatshow Host: Wendy Williams (Wendy Williams Show) & Bow wow (106 parks)
- Wendy Williams is a female talk show host on Television who has a wide audience (preferably
women). Shes notoriously known for giving the latest news and the latest gossip associated with celebrities.
The first thing Im going to discuss is her dress sense. Wendy Williams hosts a show that requires her audience
to respect her and take her seriously when shes talking. Her appearance is very important in her line of
profession and her style. Wendy Williams usually wears long dresses or a formal top and a suitable knee length
skirt. This reflects on her body language when shes hosting her chat show. She sits up straight formally facing
the camera to interact with the viewers at home. This whole image of her formally addressing herself allows
the audience to give her respect in return which is what connects her and her viewers. In a sense shes
showing her audience respect but making herself seem appropriate. Her style of show is for entertainment
and is informative for those whom indulge in gossip. Unlike some chat shows she doesnt always tend to have
a guest come onto her shows. In the case that she doesnt she has an attitude where she feels compelled to
speak out on the negative points for [said] celebrity which is quite bad. She tends to have a tendency for
releasing gossip thats only seen as negative. Similar to leading questions she would instigate things about a
celebrity knowing that the celebrity isnt there just to cause a reaction for her audience. One credit I do give to
Williams however is that whatever she decides to discuss on her talk her show she does however tend to do
her research.
When Wendy does have guests on her show her personality is different. She is very good at what interviewing
her guests. She has techniques which she uses. The first technique she is good at using building brides. In an
interview with celebrity actress Taraji P. Henson, she was able to use building bridges between talking about
her working on a new film in New York and her son going to college in LA. In a chat show, the interview skills
and techniques are more relaxed and she was quite relaxed. She was able to keep the interview going like a
genuine conversation. Shes also able to do her research efficiently and come out with correct facts and shes
able to present her questions in a way where shes not in the position of looking arrogant. She delivers her
questions in a friendly way without being rude and she also avoids the use of leading questions, by doing this I
think shes able to make her guests feel comfortable.
Bow wow is a talk show host on a show called 106 & park on BET. Bow Wow is a rapper/actor, and hes quite
young. Already we can tell from this that even his interview style would be much different from Wendy
Williams as hes of a younger generation. The way Bow Wow approaches his show in sense of fashion is laid
Noel Edmond looking happy and more casual as appose to Anne Robinson who looks dark and very
formal.
Unit 36/37 p1
back and what he would wear are things that are popular in the urban culture; e.g. Jeans, top of the line
sneakers and the latest accessories. So he wants to come across as stylish or as a trend setter unlike Wendy
who could wear something very formal but would probably be designer (e.g. Donna Karin). When Bow Wow
starts his interviews his development questions are usually something that would make the subject in question
feel comfortable. For example, when he interviews celebrity singer and old friend Chris Brown, he tends to
start bringing up things from his casual life before getting into the serious questions which is a very good
technique of making the guest feel comfortable. His interview type is usually light-hearted, especially for a
show like 106 & park to get raw and gritty is highly unnecessary. The idea behind the show is to befriend the
celebrities not make them feel uneasy. The show is meant to have good vibes so thats what he must portray
in his interviews because he would be seen as main representative of the show. The shows style is also for
entertainment purposes and can usually be promotional as they usually have a lot of guest stars on the show.
A lot of times you get music artists coming onto the show talking about a new album they want to release or a
new film theyll feature in. Its a good way to get recognition. He never uses leading questions and he never
tends to get personal whats unique about him is he would phrase a question in a way that if the celebrity
wants to get personal then he/she in question can but its forced upon or seen as compulsory. His body
language is very relaxed and non-formal at times. For example in an interview with rapper/actor & business
man 50 cent, he was seen sitting on the head of the couch and his feet resting on the seat of the couch. The
environment of the show is made for young people meaning they would have to act how young people are
portrayed so that mean body language a bit ill-mannered but its never seen as a problem amongst the young
people themselves.











Broadcast Journalist: Power 105.1 FM The Breakfast Club
- Broadcast journalists have changed throughout the years. Years ago they reported via the newspaper, but nowadays
broadcast journalism is done via the internet, radio and television. Broadcast Journalists need to watch what they say more
than anything else they do. They need to sound very positive and must avoid any explicit content such as racial slurs and
curse words (in some cases, some radio stations, allow their hosts to swear). Broadcast journalists are more interactive
with their audience than regular journalist. You see a regular journalist would just write an article for a paper or a magazine
and that would be it, the only interaction with the audience they would have is if the audience decide to purchase the
magazine/paper. Broadcast journalists tend to get interactive with their audience by allowing the public to phone in and
You can see how ill-formed the whole structure of the interview is
but this is acceptable in their environment (very relaxed). Notice
how Bow Wow is even wearing a baseball cap and sitting on the
head of the seat as appose to the other guest and his co-host.
Wendy Williams (on the left) looking extremely formal
and very composed. This image really defines chat
show because it looks like two people having a
conversation.
Unit 36/37 p1
discuss the current topic (which would be addressed at the time) or even talk to the special guest that they may have in the
studio at the time.
A good example of Radio Journalism is Power 105.1FM The breakfast
club, a radio station which is highlighted around urban culture and hip-
hop. This radio stations is built up of a very good team but only 3 radio
hosts. DJ Envy, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God. These three are a
very good team and work well together which is what helps a radio
journalistic station. Their style of interviewing tends to be for
entertainment and investigative. So you could say the investigation is
quite entertaining. In terms of dressing, they dress very casual; this is
because the type of environment that is being created doesnt really
require any formal wear. Its simply just radio, thats what we have to bare in mind but not only that, this is urban radio. So
if we were to take a look at how they dress we can notice how they dress much like the youth and they seem up to date
with fashion. But I dont think what they wear to work really attributed to their radio station. The interviewees they tend to
have come on the radio station tend to dress much like them. Moving away from the fashion, one thing I took notice of is
that they dont really tend to use progressive questions often, most of the time they would just introduce their guest and
then just ask any question. I think this radio station is popular because most of the questions they ask tend to be questions
that the fans ask them to ask the celebrities and I think this helps build a relationship with the audience. The rule of
building bridges and progressive questions really does not exist on this station. Its more or less just straight to the point.
This isnt like your typical broadcast journalist but at the same time it makes you aware that broadcast journalism can
come in different formats.
The language used on this station is very casual, slang is used very often and formal language is rarely heard (especially as
most of the interviewees are hip hop artists). The language thats used is often used by the audience which is what makes
it more marketable to the audience. The only disadvantage to them using this language is that they are creating an
environment where perhaps only the youth could thrive. By using the language and tones of the youth they are making
that very clear but as I said, the target audience IS the youth so by doing so, theyre doing what they need to do. As
broadcast journalists they use active listening for when ever they talk to their interviewee, the only flaw some of them
tend to have from time to time is that they talk over their interviewees sometimes. In response to their interviewees or
when they ask their interviewees something, their pace of delivery is quite quick. They dont delay when theyre
interviewing and are always able to gather information for the active listeners quickly and efficiently.
The setting of this interview stations is taken place in a radio station building. This area is full of technical equipment that
they have access to. Due to the fact that this kind of interview isnt based on visual but rather audio the lay out of the
seating and everything else would differ from that which you would see on TV. On this radio station the interviewers sit in
a triangle formation, with DJ envy at the top of the table and then Angela & Charlamagne at the end of the table one on
the left and one on the right with the interviewees sitting behind them. They sit around a round table, which I think is ideal.
I say that because when they have interviewees come on the show they tend to have a discussion and the layout of the
interviewers and interviewees seems appropriate to having a conversation. No one would have their back to each other
everyone can see everyone.
As a youth myself I do actually enjoy watching the breakfast Club, in my opinion I feel as though I can relate to the hosts
and the guests in terms of fashion, terminology and lifestyle. I, myself, am a prime example of what a typical consumer of
their media product would be like. I think they do well at appealing and interacting with their target audience.