Insulting other people is like using fake currency. We can’t stop others from offering them to us, but we can reject them. Every time I receive an invitation to participate over the telephone in programs aired on satellite channels I hesitate.
I seriously worry about dealing with TV hosts, whether male or female. I feel some of them really do not have a clue about broadcast media and the field that they are employed in. These people are in the business either because they are Saudis or because the TV channel needs to employ Saudi presenters as its capital comes from Saudi money. Another reason behind this is that satellite stations have a tendency to decorate their screens with women — they feel that a person’s gender is a license to belong to the silver screen.
Some TV presenters are oblivious to their audience’s awareness. They forget that people sitting at the other end of the screen evaluate everything they see and hear according to different standards and variables. TV hosts need to develop their skills constantly before indulging in live interviews with faded smiles, shallow backgrounds and poor questions.
The stories of my colleagues and me participating as authors or people interested in social issues on different TV stations are embarrassing. Many producers call and request us to take part in a discussion on one of their programs. Then when a presenter actually receives a call during the program, these people pretend that no previous contact was made embarrassing the callers and thus putting them in an awkward situation. Until now I struggle to find a reasonable explanation why anyone would want to do this.
What is even worse is the scenario in which a presenter insists on an opinion and asks the guest to answer a query in a way that reflects and supports the presenter’s argument and not the guest’s personal viewpoint. When the guest starts analyzing things according to his or her knowledge and understanding, the presenter cuts the conversation short by making an excuse that “the program’s time is up.” I’ve personally experienced this myself when participating in Arabic TV shows on social issues. I sometimes get the impression that the presenter had already decided what the guest’s opinions and viewpoints were and merely wanted to moderate the discussion according to her or his biased and partial judgment.
Some TV stations and channels arrange in advance that they will call you on a specific day and time. Ultimately, they either never call or call during the end of the program when there are a few seconds left. It is really important to know what time a program is going to be aired and at what time they are going to call so that when they mess up then you can easily switch your phone off. People have schedules to follow and their time is not just for such programs.
As for the type and style of questions asked in certain programs, this is another point of concern.
Presenters have a tendency to surprise guests when they request a person to participate making them feel like a student in a classroom waiting to be given the permission to answer. At times, the presenter is so quick to ask a second question that they pay no attention to what you have to say or interrupts your conversation without any due consideration to the ethics and etiquette of dialogue.
I believe that some of our TV presenters need to go through intensive training courses to learn the basics of dialogue and discussion, most importantly techniques relating to broadcast media.
