These strikes are wrong...

[gazingdown]

perhaps this could be a signature for somebody-

Make sure they "set aside the rhetoric" first

As leader of a party (or just as an MP for that matter) EM is completely, utterly out of his depth.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

This

This

This

This

Sorry, reptetion is catching.


That would have been bad enough from a back bencher - but from the party leader! I am in total shock.

i thought it was David-

 

[Taybha]

thats got to be a wind up ,tony blair must have a new job in the editing dept

 

[Bisto]

Is this the most bizarre interview you have ever seen?

BBC News - Ed Miliband:

What a true reflection of the guys ability one line Eddie LOL

 

[Art Vs Science]

Democracy always gets dressed up as a champion of the free world, but it is filled with nothing more than legal thieves and lying bastards, which kinda cancels out the point of the system

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Democracy always gets dressed up as a champion of the free world, but it is filled with nothing more than legal thieves and lying bastards, which kinda cancels out the point of the system

Bit like the killer in custody-no comment-no comment-no comment-no comment-no comment

 

[Waynflete]

I totally agree it looks utterly mad!

To be fair, though, there are different types of media interviews, including:

1. A set-piece interview with a 'named' interviewer (like Paxman). For these, you know that most of the interview will be broadcast and the idea is to have a conversation with the interviewer, argue your point etc.

2. A pre-recorded interview with a broadcast journalist or news producer. For these, you know that the vast majority of the interview will be cut out, and they'll use a short soundbite to include in their news package. Interviewees can find with these that the one thing they said that was 'off-script' gets chosen by the journalist, and that then becomes their public position, and the other 95% of stuff they said gets ignored.

Clearly, Miliband was treating this interview as the second type. He repeated exactly the same thing over and over again because he wanted to make absolutely sure that the journalist had no choice but to use his chosen message.

Unfortunately for him they've rather stitched him up and put the whole thing on the website, which makes him look like a complete fool.

 

[ferring seagull]

We have a government which is a coalition of Conservative and Liberal Democrat.

I may well be wrong but I think, at this time, any consensus government is the correct answer to an overwhelmingly problematic situation.

Perhaps I am seriously deluded but much of what has come about since the last election seems to me to be addressing those problems and not particularly scoring political points. The merging of views I think is good !

To say that the government have acted in a reckless way is, I think, ludicrous. Just look at what is happening in Greece where there is gay abandon about reality. They appear to have no understanding whatsoever of that reality and, in particular, the consequencies of individuals continuing to, not untypically it seems, 'pseudo' hold a government post (locally or nationally) whilst spending all of their time running their own business and ignoring the national situation.

Governments cannot just PRINT money.

That individuals, trade unions or others cannot grasp the true situation is especially sad and to go on strike over the obvious is beyond belief. Pensions need to be realistic and sustainable in the future.

To see that our current administration is reviewing it's policy as time goes on is refreshing as opposed to previous administrations being completely caught up in 'dogma' and accordingly not prepared to consider anything other than the party line. It is also good that our current administration have involved all parties to address specific issues.

I am not a political being so this is only my personal viewpoint.

 

[beorhthelm]

if that was on youtube you'd have thought it was a clever edit. i think he says the same thing 5 times. im suddenly conscious i dont recall an interview with a substantial political journo, no wonder as he'd be torn apart.

 

[Waynflete]

if that was on youtube you'd have thought it was a clever edit. i think he says the same thing 5 times. im suddenly conscious i dont recall an interview with a substantial political journo, no wonder as he'd be torn apart.

Maybe, but see my post above. If he was being interviewed by a substantial political journo he'd respond in a very different fashion.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Maybe, but see my post above. If he was being interviewed by a substantial political journo he'd respond in a very different fashion.

no excuse-you mean he would use 2 lines of reply and repeat instead of 1.

 

[beardy gull]

George Osborne likes a stock answer too.......BBC News - George Osborne: GDP figures show recovery is steady

 

[Triggaaar]

To be fair, though, there are different types of media interviews, including:

1. A set-piece interview with a 'named' interviewer (like Paxman). For these, you know that most of the interview will be broadcast and the idea is to have a conversation with the interviewer, argue your point etc.

2. A pre-recorded interview with a broadcast journalist or news producer. For these, you know that the vast majority of the interview will be cut out, and they'll use a short soundbite to include in their news package. Interviewees can find with these that the one thing they said that was 'off-script' gets chosen by the journalist, and that then becomes their public position, and the other 95% of stuff they said gets ignored.

Clearly, Miliband was treating this interview as the second type. He repeated exactly the same thing over and over again because he wanted to make absolutely sure that the journalist had no choice but to use his chosen message.

Understood. Wouldn't a politician be better just saying they have a statement to make on the situation and making it, rather than pretending to answer a question on the cuff and looking like a twat?

 

[Waynflete]

no excuse-you mean he would use 2 lines of reply and repeat instead of 1.

No, I'm not making excuses for him and I'm not particularly a Miliband fan.

I'm just saying that the type of interview being conducted in that clip is the sort of interview that politicians do all the time. They will frequently repeat the same point because they want to make sure the journalist includes their position in their report (knowing that the journalist's questions and most of their answers will be edited out).

If it was a set-piece interview with a big-name journalist then it would be a completely different thing, and he'd answer differently. That of course brings its own problems because the longer the interview the more chance you have of tying yourself in knots.

 

[Waynflete]

Understood. Wouldn't a politician be better just saying they have a statement to make on the situation and making it, rather than pretending to answer a question on the cuff and looking like a twat?

You're right. And I suspect that what happened in this case is that Miliband was SO repetitive that he didn't give the journalist anything interesting to put in his report, so they decided to stitch him up. If politicians always stuck to script so rigidly it would become very boring for journalists!

 

[Triggaaar]

George Osborne likes a stock answer too.......

Presumably journalists hate this nonsense, they may as well not exist if the politicians are going to ignore them and repeat a prepared speach 5 times, so why haven't the journalists taken the piss out of this sort of response more often?

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

No, I'm not making excuses for him and I'm not particularly a Miliband fan.

I'm just saying that the type of interview being conducted in that clip is the sort of interview that politicians do all the time. They will frequently repeat the same point because they want to make sure the journalist includes their position in their report (knowing that the journalist's questions and most of their answers will be edited out).

If it was a set-piece interview with a big-name journalist then it would be a completely different thing, and he'd answer differently. That of course brings its own problems because the longer the interview the more chance you have of tying yourself in knots.

no,i know what you mean,still it really is mad-totally crazy-still if you believe something that much,why not repeat it.

 

[vulture]

the tories should be 20 points behind in the polls not level or 2 or 3 behind.......Labour should of put in David and not Ed.....If Ed is still Labour leader in 2015 then it will be a bloodbath.

 

[Waynflete]

Presumably journalists hate this nonsense, they may as well not exist if the politicians are going to ignore them and repeat a prepared speach 5 times, so why haven't the journalists taken the piss out of this sort of response more often?

It's interesting, now there are so many broadcast platforms it changes the game. A few years ago we'd never have had the chance to see that interview, so maybe politicians won't be able to get away with this sort of thing so much in the future.

What it also does is put more power in the hands of journalists. Ideally, they'll be trustworthy and politicians will know that even if they branch out a bit with their answers, the journo won't edit it in a way that misrepresents their position.

 

[Triggaaar]

It's interesting, now there are so many broadcast platforms it changes the game. A few years ago we'd never have had the chance to see that interview

I expect you're right, but I don't really understand why. If those interviews have been going on for years, I don't see why the broadcasters didn't just show the politicians up for the fools they are.