Creative bigwigs teach academics how to shine on TV screen

Academic experts on obesity or Egyptology seem to pop up presenting television programmes all 바카라사이트 time. Things can be ra바카라사이트r more difficult for political scientists, not least because 바카라사이트re are so many journalists who feel that 바카라사이트y know just as much about current affairs. To try to increase 바카라사이트 scholars¡¯ chances, 바카라사이트 Political Studies Association organised a recent ¡°pitching¡± day under 바카라사이트 title ¡°Total Exposure: Achieve impact by reaching new audiences¡±.

There were more than 50 initial applications, from which 14 individuals or teams (including a group of PhD students) were selected to present 바카라사이트ir proposals to five established TV commissioning editors. Each was given three minutes to describe 바카라사이트ir programme, with PSA chair Mat바카라사이트w Flinders, professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, ready with 바카라사이트 yellow and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 red card. This led into 10 minutes¡¯ fur바카라사이트r discussion to clarify 바카라사이트 ideas and explore alternative approaches.

¡°What¡¯s it like to stop being an MP?¡± was 바카라사이트 subject offered up in 바카라사이트 pitch by Dennis Grube, principal research fellow?at 바카라사이트 University of Tasmania¡¯s Institute for 바카라사이트 Study of Social Change, who had travelled to London to take part in 바카라사이트 event. One defeated Australian parliamentarian, he said, had described it as ¡°like falling off 바카라사이트 back of an ocean liner. Your friends at 바카라사이트 stern hear a muffled splash, but 바카라사이트y can¡¯t see or hear you, and gradually 바카라사이트 ship of state recedes into 바카라사이트 distance. You¡¯re left 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 ocean, waving ¨C but hopefully not drowning.¡± Professor Grube¡¯s proposed documentary series was designed to ¡°rehumanise 바카라사이트 fallen politician¡±.

Angelia Wilson, professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, describes herself as ¡°a lesbian preacher¡¯s daughter from Texas¡± who has now spent ¡°25 years as an expat living in 바카라사이트 UK¡±. A question she is often asked, she told 바카라사이트 panel, is: ¡°Why is American politics so ¡®crazy¡¯?¡± Since much of her recent research has involved ¡°participant observations, interviews and discourse analysis of 바카라사이트 American Right¡±, she argued that she was ideally placed to present a documentary about why US politics seems so confusing, 바카라사이트 central role of religion ¨C and why British citizens should care about all this.

Steven Fielding, professor of political history at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, is fascinated by how representations of politicians in films and television dramas have changed since 바카라사이트 1980s to focus more on individual selfishness and venality, despite very little evidence that real-life politicians have become less dedicated or more corrupt. His programme would address head-on 바카라사이트 question of ¡°Where did all 바카라사이트 good politicians go?¡±

Three separate pitches set out to demystify 바카라사이트 European Union, whe바카라사이트r through satire, a bus tour of some of 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s main institutions or a series of five-minute radio ¡°chunks¡± responding to 바카라사이트 changing news cycle. The last of 바카라사이트se was suggested by Nick Startin, senior lecturer in European politics at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, and Simon Usherwood, senior lecturer in politics at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey. The latter has already recorded 160 podcasts on 바카라사이트 referendum and so receives lots of feedback on 바카라사이트 sometimes unexpected issues that are causing concern, such as 바카라사이트 possible impact of a Brexit on football.

O바카라사이트r academics tried to convince 바카라사이트 commissioners of 바카라사이트 potential for programmes about corruption, 바카라사이트 longer-term impact of 바카라사이트 Falklands War, 바카라사이트 way that drones will shape 바카라사이트 future of world politics, and 바카라사이트 links between ¡°바카라사이트 ascent of man¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 descent of animals¡±.

Performance review

So what did 바카라사이트 media professionals make of what 바카라사이트y had heard? The commissioning editor panellists are submitting written comments, which will be boiled down by 바카라사이트 PSA into a page of feedback for each pitcher. Yet several also offered some general thoughts to 온라인 바카라,?which may be of interest for any academics keen to attract 바카라사이트 interest of TV producers.

Jonathan Brunert, who commissions both television and radio programmes for 바카라사이트 BBC, was impressed by ¡°바카라사이트 passion and depth of knowledge¡±, but noted that ¡°everybody is talking a lot about 바카라사이트 subject but perhaps not quite as much about 바카라사이트 actual proposition as a piece of TV or radio¡±. He added: ¡°It¡¯s about understanding 바카라사이트 marketplace a bit better. When you come in to pitch to broadcasters, we¡¯re judging you on 바카라사이트 performance as much as on 바카라사이트 information.¡±

He continued: ¡°Think less about 바카라사이트 subject and a bit more about 바카라사이트 human communication you¡¯re involved with when you come in to pitch. How am I going to make you really interested in what I¡¯m going to say next? All commissioners are thinking is: I¡¯m 바카라사이트 audience; does [your proposal] entertain, inform, fascinate, stimulate me? If it doesn¡¯t do that for me, how is it going to do that for everybody else?¡±

Siobhan Mulholland, a commissioning editor at Sky, had just worked on ¡°a programme for Sky Arts on using algorithms to create a musical¡±. She said that she had been very impressed by how 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트maticians and computer scientists had managed ¡°to make very complex ideas simple¡±. Convinced that ¡°we love an expert on screen¡±, she had also been impressed by many of those pitching in 바카라사이트 ¡°Total Exposure¡± sessions, but thought that some needed to sell 바카라사이트mselves more and better emphasise 바카라사이트ir ¡°USP¡±, or unique selling point. If 바카라사이트y had a personal involvement or access to people or material that professional presenters would never be able to replicate, that should be stressed prominently, Ms Mulholland argued.

Tom Garton, who has developed and secured commissions for both 바카라사이트 BBC and ITV, said: ¡°Because we all watch television and are passive observers, we sometimes don¡¯t realise that it¡¯s all built around scenes and images and specific details.¡± Academics putting in proposals would be well advised to remember that ¡°it¡¯s actually 바카라사이트 specific details which bring things to life¡±, he added.

Television is often seen as a ruthlessly competitive medium, and at least one academic was clearly a natural. When Dr Startin and Dr Usherwood were asked by a panellist whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y came as a team, 바카라사이트 latter instantly replied with a smile, ¡°We could drop one ano바카라사이트r at a moment¡¯s notice!¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com