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Emily Harris needs to work harder on her craft. She seems content to ask snappy questions like to one she asked today about Reed's reputation "Brains and drugs." The person answering didn't react to the emotional stinger in the question but was confused because they did not know what she was asking. As a listener I did not know what she was asking except to trot out a phrase that carries alot of emotional sterotyping baggage. She asked the same poorly thought out question twice more before asking a clearer question. I am still not sure that one was the question she intended. The host's job is to think through exactly what they want to know and develop clear questions that bring responses that help the conversation move forward. The second job of a good host is to listen well. In situations where the response is not to the point or vague to help the person who is speaking clarify what they are saying by paraphrasing back to them what you heard. This also helps the listeners be clear about the point under discussion. Terry Gross is an excellent example of a host that does this and in the process wins the respect of the person she interviews and the audience. This show needs much more thought put into helping the discussions succeed. If you replay this show you will se many places where the host was trying to jump the conversation forward without clarifying what just happened.
Today's show generated a lot of heat, but too little clarity, As the Reed College student president put it, "the answers here are nuanced." But the issues were not carefully picked open, the host used a sledge hammer approach that left only dust in the wind.
The Fifty-First State show had the same problems. It might have been interesting but it drifted with too much repetition and too few clear points. It is a problem in how the show is planned.
I really don't like talk shows like this one and especially "World have Your Say" precisely because we spend a lot of time with little pay back in terms of insight and information.

posted 4 years, 12 months ago
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