The ITV News annoys me, and not simply for the usual crimes of interupting a movie or having no real idea of its timeslot.
The main horror in ITV’s presentation of whatever they deem newsworthy is the virtual studio, which casts a huge, shiny video wall behind the anchors like a ridiculous starship bridge. Although the BBC’s been using this sort of technology for years, they’ve always taken a much more subtle approach and haven’t been quite so blatent with their CG.
Every time I see the almost iMac-like shiny white plastic sheen of the artificial surfaces that border ITV’s flagship news program it reminds me that it’s fake, and that has such an impact on how I view their coverage: they spin layers around the news, layers of artificial settings and artificial spin. This news is always constructed around what will sell, what’s pertinent on a personal level rather than being analysed much more objectively. It’s always the most dramatic developments, the most revelatory detail. The cliché of “…and finally” stories has become such a tired routine, a tabloid juxtaposition of tragedy with humanity.
It’s ridiculous, but the same is true in their weather forecasts – although the data from the Met Office is the same as that used by the Beeb, ITV’s consists of cartoony symbols and bulky graphics, all easy presentation and less detail. And there’s almost as much time spent on the Powergen ad as the actual report.
Okay, I suppose it’s fair to say that I’m not a big fan of ITV in general. Just thinking about it, which of their programs do I actually watch? I mean, they’ve got a sitcom that’s so bad it makes Peter Serafinowicz look less than brilliant…
