Whatever our views of individual politicians, good political debate can be helped or hindered by the journalists reporting, interviewing and debate moderating. I think Nick Robinson modelled reasonably well how to do it when interviewing Sunak but suffered from time constraints. I’m sure previous elections have seen a longer format. The moderating of the BBC head to head debate was awful and Beth Rigby’s interviewing style for the Sky TV version of a debate in Grimsby was poor as well.
Of course, we can grumble about today’s journalists but the rot set in a long time ago. Jeremy Paxman became the archetype of a combative style of interviewing. To be sure, the tendency of politicians to find ways to avoid answering questions needed and still needs challenging too but I don’t think this style is anymore affective than more gentle tactics. In fact, a good interviewer will find ways to subtly draw the person out.
The “yes, yes” dismissiveness, the cutting in, talking over, preventing full answers, eye rolling demeanour does not help the electorate to make their decision. The media are not or mediating represented. They have not been elected to speak or act for us, nor have they been authorised to judge for us. Journalists and interviewers are at their best when they don’t become the story, are not centre stage and not the dominant voice but then they facilitate a good conversation between politicians and voters.
I think you will get where I’m going here. The uncharitable view is that the journalists want to be centre stage, they want to have the attention on them, their role has become a performance art and to some extent, I think this has become increasingly true. However, the more charitable view is that they see themselves as fulfilling some sacred duty, some special constitutional role. They have inserted themselves in between people electors and elected. This is one of the biggest temptations we all face.
We can insert ourselves in between people, seeking to act as go-betweens. There is also the temptation though to insert ourselves in as mediators between God and humanity. In fact, the two are linked. In Ephesians 2 it is because God has reconciled us to himself and broken down that dividing wall of hostility where we were his enemies that the dividing wall of hostility between people is also broken down.
Whenever we attempt to insert ourselves in as mediators, we need to be careful that we are not attempting to fill a vacancy that isn’t there,
Faithroots 