"It's the most annoying thing to hit television news"
That's what Fireflier said to Mrs Fireflier as they presenter of the local news used the Tantalising Soundbite to Insipid Main Story style of newsreading for what seemed to be the 10th time that night.

Hopefully you get the idea. This isn't an annoying word or phrase as such, but an extremely annoying presentation style that seems to have evolved into excessive use on all UK news channels.

I'm sure you've seen it. The presenter kicks off with an attention grabbing headline or soundbite, but which has absolutely no content - it's just being used to shock you out of your apparent televisual stupor. Then they follow-up the the apparent "meat" of the story, which is inevitably much less impactful than they would have you believe from the first sentence.

I wouldn't mind, but it's bloody everywhere! Local BBC news seems to be the worst though. It's like they've seen it done on the national news, thought "Oh, THAT'S how the big boys do it" - and now have to shoe-horn it in at every opportunity.

Yes, Sally Taylor from South Today - I'm talking to you.

...and yes - I realise that "impactful" probably make a lot of people's lists of annoying words. I can't help myself - I'm a management consultant. Deal with it.
( Fireflier La la la la, not listening on, Tue 13 Apr 2010, 23:19, 4 replies)

Management consultant?
So you can't manage, but you tell other people how to?
( flake has nothing against your right leg, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 1:15, closed)

And gets paid buckets of money to do so.
Doesn't it just burrrrrrrrrrrrrrn? :D
( Michael Ellis contributes nothing, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 10:05, closed)

Not quite...
Unlike some of my colleagues, I was in a proper job first, got very specialised, did another degree, and now companies pay lots of money for the benefit of my experience. I help them to do things they don't do very often and consequently are likely to get wrong if they try it themselves.

As for buckets of money, kind-of, but believe me - I only see about 25% of what people are paying for me!
( Fireflier La la la la, not listening on, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 13:24, closed)

You need a better accountant, then.
Top-rate income tax is only 50%.
( flake has nothing against your right leg, Thu 15 Apr 2010, 1:18, closed)