Though the you-are-there illusion forced by the historical present can be an effective narrative device, it can also feel manipulative. Recently a Canadian columnist complained about a CBC Radio news program that seemed to him to overuse the present tense, as in "UN forces open fire on protesters." The director explained to him that the show is supposed to sound "less analytic, less reflective" and "more dynamic, more hot" than the flagship nightly news show.
It is reading this passage that leads me to realize why I grow to dislike the disaster coverage on NBC Nightly News.
Meanwhile, awaiting the next hurricane, Robert Hager enjoys semi-retirement.
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1 comment:
Let me get this straight: You are now offended by what Tense they use in the news?
Seriously, I don't care if they use 2nd person future tense from now on, as long as we can stop reporting on the Wasilla Whitetrash News-a-palooza on which kit is now knocked up and what drug they are being named after.
Erin, on the other hand, is offended by the number of conjuctives and the glaring lack of gerunds on BBC News.
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