Why Are Guests/Panelists On PBS's "TheNews Hour" So Polite And Restrained?

[arwalden]

In the hundreds of panelists/guests that I've seen where the moderator interviews two people with opposing political philosophies... there have been only a couple of isolated incidences where one guest interrupted the other one, or got belligerent with the host.

Each person responds to their question only when it's THEIR turn to talk. And when it's the OTHER person's turn to talk, they remain silent.

What is it that PBS knows about conducting point-counterpoint interviews that the other cable news outlets don't know? They could ALL take a lesson from "The News Hour" style of interviewing.

[jrd200x]

1. What a great obervation. Here's what I think

Fox, MSNBC, and CNN (somewhat) have a keener interest in ratings than in reporting. They don't present "news" they present "sparring." That's is, I think, more interesting to many people. It's not the news, it's what is the latest outrages thing Ann Coulter said to Howard Dean that is the interesting thing.

PBS prides itself on reporting facts. Part of it is the almost total lack of consumer advertising, and the absence of a stock market with investors to please with ratings.

[Burried News]

2. Ifil, Suarez, Lehrer and Warner obviously do their homework, are

repectful, set a good example and are genuine and decent people. I like their program very much but I think the right has designs on it as they did on NPR.

[WI_DEM]

3. I was going to say because it's PBS,but then "The McLaughlin Group"

was on PBS too and they were anything but respectful.

[TomInTib]

4. Audience demographics. My SO and I were discussing this just

last night.

It's not that they have more "intelligent" people watching.

It is because the "idiot factor" of NewsHour's audience is close to zero.

[AlCzervik]

5. becasue the adults are in charge at Newshour. Could you actually

picture Margaret going off? I can't but it would be pretty funny.