A skilled interviewer
Excellent news about the Nick Clarke award for interviewing - absolutely appropriate. Nick had a great many talents, but if you had to pick one I'm sure most would go for his skill as an interviewer.
Described variously as cool, courteous, measured and/or forensic, his approach grew from the belief that his role was to find something out. He then, of course, had the charm and intelligence to pursue this relentlessly.
As a producer on The World At One or The World This Weekend you knew that when you told him you'd fixed x or y to be interviewed, he'd immediately ask why, what could they add to our understanding of a particular story?
Yesterday some of us were thinking back over the years of interviews. Lots of personal favourites, but everyone at some stage mentioned those during the period of Hutton and his report. As an example of keeping a firm grip on intellectual inquiry in the midst of heightened emotions and internal turmoil it stands as one of Nick's finest achievements.
Comments
Brilliant, I'm very pleased about that - both because it's a fitting tribute, and because it might encourage better interviewing.
I thought Nick was the best interviewer of all time, not just on Radio 4.
He didn't let ego get in the way (as Humphreys et al on Today do), he just coolly and systematically challenged interviewees on the most important issues, in the politest way.
His interviews uncovered more than anyone else's, and his agenda wasn't led by that day's newspapers. The less aggressive style also encouraged interviewees to open up more.
His nearest equivalent these days is Eddie Mair, who also has a wonderful dry wit.
If he had presented Today I wouldn't have needed to stop listening - a decision I made a couple of years ago because I was just getting too wound up by the poor interviewing style which I find arrogant, blinkered and small minded.
I grew up with my Mum listening to Brian Redhead in the morning and would love to be able to listen now I'm grown up - so may this award bring people up through the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ who are inspired by Nick Clarke.
Steve
Shame most reporters on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ are so poor at asking questions. They never ask the next question. All today with the News of the non-election, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has let Labour MP's say "We'd win now or in two years" not one has said, "Well why didn't you then?"
So often the Government can get away saying what they want with the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ to scared to challenge them. So few of them have the Calibre of those who went before, too much of a triumph of image over substance,
Maybe people will be inspired to follow in this man's footsteps and turn the tide.
I am sure that Nick Clarke is a super interviewer and a wonderful person but let's keep the Editor's Blog for editorial matters. Leave the back-slapping for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ house magazine.
I think you've got the wrong end of the stick clifford - and the wrong tense.