TV
ITV presenter Katie Derham has hit back over accusations that modern newsreaders lack experience.
Former BBC war correspondent Kate Adie recently said today's news presenters are overpaid and do "absolutely nothing but read an autocue." Other veteran TV names have made similar accusations in the past.
Newsreader Derham says they are mistaken, however.
"The last time this argument went back and forth was when Michael Buerk was sounding off about it, joining with Andrew Marr and John Humphrys saying we newscasters are all absolute airheads who get paid too much just to wear nice clothes," she explained to the Daily Telegraph. "It's an easy line, but it is self-evidently rubbish."
"We do have to think on our feet and we do have to have journalistic training, and professionalism, and common sense - because otherwise the product would be s**t and we would be taken off-air."
She continued: "Do I wish I had marked my card by doing the Africa beat so that I could wave it at the old boys who are growling at me? Well, yes, I would have found that fascinating, but the way my career mapped out I was always doing more domestic news - business, then arts."
Former BBC war correspondent Kate Adie recently said today's news presenters are overpaid and do "absolutely nothing but read an autocue." Other veteran TV names have made similar accusations in the past.
Newsreader Derham says they are mistaken, however.
"The last time this argument went back and forth was when Michael Buerk was sounding off about it, joining with Andrew Marr and John Humphrys saying we newscasters are all absolute airheads who get paid too much just to wear nice clothes," she explained to the Daily Telegraph. "It's an easy line, but it is self-evidently rubbish."
"We do have to think on our feet and we do have to have journalistic training, and professionalism, and common sense - because otherwise the product would be s**t and we would be taken off-air."
She continued: "Do I wish I had marked my card by doing the Africa beat so that I could wave it at the old boys who are growling at me? Well, yes, I would have found that fascinating, but the way my career mapped out I was always doing more domestic news - business, then arts."
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