Five things we learned: Meet the News Anchor with Jon Snow, Channel 4 News

Tuesday 28th June

 

“I am Jon Snow, I know nothing.”

How the iconic Channel 4 News Presenter chose to introduce himself at this morning’s breakfast may have elicited broad beams of delight from the Game of Thrones fans around the table but – luckily for us – it definitely did not set the tone for the discussion that followed. Here are five things we learned.

 

1. Brexit has been a wake-up call, albeit a disastrous one

Admitting that “no single event had invaded my soul as much as this has”, Snow said that the decision to leave the EU by 52% of the electorate was a huge wake-up call for how this ‘other half’ lives. “I’ve spoken to working class communities around the UK and got the feeling that many cast a protest vote to Leave. They hadn’t enjoyed the benefits that the Remain camp spoke about; instead they had lost a way of life and were prepared to blame the EU, rather than domestic policy, for it”. Calling the conduct of the campaigns and the outcomes a ‘disaster’, he warned that it would be “an enormous job nationally to heal the divisions”.

 

2. A General Election will happen in next six months

Musing on the current tumult across both the Conservative and Labour parties, Snow speculated that a General Election in the next six months is probable and “the kindest option for all”. While he noted that “situations can throw up unlikely leaders”, he labelled Boris Johnson a somewhat ‘divisive figure’, saying the media may not treat him well. Turning to the Labour party, he said that while Corbyn still enjoyed support among the disenfranchised, his lack of leadership skills was a serious hindrance to any success for him or the party.

 

3. Channel 4 News can be quite incorrect

Away from the Referendum fallout, Snow spoke on the state of broadcast news. Channel 4 News is the most-watched terrestrial news programme by the younger demographic (16-24 year olds) and ethnic minorities. Snow attributed this to the programme being seen as “not part of the establishment… we can be quite incorrect. Not in terms of facts or content of course, but in terms of our behaviour. I try to be balanced, but not neutral.”

 

4. Achieving gender parity in guests can be difficult, but not for the reasons you might think

Snow emphasised Channel 4’s commitment to featuring an equal number of male and female experts on the programme, although said that it was not without its challenges. Giving an example, Snow said: “if you’re looking for an expert on public sector economics you can call a female academic who has written an interesting paper on the subject and she will politely decline, saying it not actually her main area of expertise. Male academics, however, will very rarely decline on that basis.” He concluded that men simply may be more comfortable to bullsh*t on national TV…

 

5. Business leaders are becoming more accessible

Communications with the business community have improved greatly in the last 10 years, according to Snow, although more could be done. “Businesses could have a much wider reach if they gave us more access to their knowledge and expertise,” Snow attested but expressed his frustration with spokespeople who have been media trained to the hilt and forgotten to be human. “They have been packaged, processed, gone through the machine… but viewers notice when interviewees evade a question and it makes them angry.”

 

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