Why do news anchors yell at us?

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THEY yell as if their viewers are deaf. Why do the news announcers on the Tagalog TV nightly news shout when they deliver the news?

It’s like when we’re talking to someone whose back is turned and we try to catch their attention. We raise our voice so we can be heard. That’s what the news anchors do. The only thing missing is the “Hoy!”

Even the women news readers do it, in the process losing their poise and femininity. They’re like fishmongers in the wet market hollering at their buyers and at each other. “Hoy, mga ale’t mama, bili na kayo ng bangus, sariwa pa!”

Local news readers should take a cue from CNN or the BBC. CNN does practically everything well, not only their news presentation but also the depth of their news. They’re practically in every corner of the globe.

There’s nothing wrong with emulating others (even if they’re foreigners!) if the quality of their work is high. No need to reinvent the wheel if there are already what are called “best practices.”

The “problem” with BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) news readers is they deliver the news just barely above a whisper, the viewer sometimes has to strain to hear the news. But BBC’s news coverage is also excellent, if not as extensive as CNN’s.

Incidentally, local news anchors do double duty by having commentary programs on television and radio. In the United States, news presenters aren’t allowed to do commentary. This is to preserve the political or ideological neutrality of the news anchors and of their news organizations.

Here, for example, Noli de Castro, Ted Failon, and the other senior news readers also have programs that offer commentary, often in a boisterous fashion. The same is true with Mike Enriquez and his colleagues on another channel.

American news readers, especially those on the national networks, stick strictly to hard news presenting. They don’t engage in commentary.

Actually, De Castro and his counterparts provide commentary regularly even in the news programs which taint the hard news with their editorialized views. Straight news presenters should maintain a neutral stance on the issues of the day to preserve their credibility as bringers of hard news.

The most outrageous offering on ANC is a show (Executive Class) that abashedly pays obeisance to luxury and ostentatious display of expensive belongings. Who in this poor country is that show’s audience?

There’s an excessive amount of time allotted to showbiz news. The major networks, of course, are purveyors of entertainment. They have to promote their talents constantly. That’s understandable, but I think it’s just too much. It’s like hard news is just an excuse to be able to market their performers.

News programs should stick to hard news and not mix in too much entertainment news and editorial comments by news anchors.

But maybe network executives think the viewers cannot digest the news and form opinions on their own. Or maybe they want to massage the news to suit their interests and biases.

*** Tantrum Ergo. President Duterte has a new excuse for not wanting to thaw out the Philippines’ relations with the United States, which have gone cold since he became president. He now wants the return first of the infamous Balangiga bells taken as trophies by American soldiers during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the 20th century.