Andrew Marr is a renowned British journalist and presenter for radio and television, who previously was editor of The Independent newspaper and political editor of BBC News. In the London Evening Standard last week, he wrote an article (nominally about his new passion for painting) where he made two very interesting points:
“My advice in taking on [the role of TV presenter] is first of all to be yourself, don’t try to be something you’re not; and always do the homework.”
“My only point [about my role as host of the BBC Sunday news programme] is that on a personal level, it becomes quite oppressive. You bore yourself after a while. You’re so used to self-censoring, even in a random conversation in the street.”
Have you ever felt that you are censoring yourself or seen others doing it? Or perhaps you feel that some people ought to censor themselves further? And about the first point, how much of yourself do you feel you can bring to work?
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On the point of knowing yourself, I've been working on that on myself... As Michele Nevarez said in an interview with me, it generally takes more than a lifetime to do that. So, WIP. Also I think "doing the homework" needs to mean more than skim-reading some wikipedia page. It means HARD work. On the second point, of self-censorship, I was moved by Marr's recognition of the boredom he felt. It's as though self-censorship has the effect of removing the enjoyment of life...
For sure, I know some who steer away from any discussions regarding news headlines because of the division and anger from those who may not agree. I myself will join in conversation if I’m familiar with the topic at hand and the different perspectives. Only then would I feel confident enough to share my thoughts.
The tricky part is listening without judgment when sometimes you may not understand or agree with the other people speaking. How to bring up contrarian perspectives or nunaced questions without feeling alienated or alienating?
Yes, that very true. Respect for the conversations, listening without judgment like you mention is a great reminder and takes practice and can be difficult. If it can be accomplished, it may set the tone for a healthy conversation despite the differences. Why not dive right in and ask the question...with being mindful of the delivery and tone of the question? If it seems like it’s starting to turn sour, then maybe best to transition to a lighter subject. 😁
On the point of knowing yourself, I've been working on that on myself... As Michele Nevarez said in an interview with me, it generally takes more than a lifetime to do that. So, WIP. Also I think "doing the homework" needs to mean more than skim-reading some wikipedia page. It means HARD work. On the second point, of self-censorship, I was moved by Marr's recognition of the boredom he felt. It's as though self-censorship has the effect of removing the enjoyment of life...
For sure, I know some who steer away from any discussions regarding news headlines because of the division and anger from those who may not agree. I myself will join in conversation if I’m familiar with the topic at hand and the different perspectives. Only then would I feel confident enough to share my thoughts.
The tricky part is listening without judgment when sometimes you may not understand or agree with the other people speaking. How to bring up contrarian perspectives or nunaced questions without feeling alienated or alienating?
Yes, that very true. Respect for the conversations, listening without judgment like you mention is a great reminder and takes practice and can be difficult. If it can be accomplished, it may set the tone for a healthy conversation despite the differences. Why not dive right in and ask the question...with being mindful of the delivery and tone of the question? If it seems like it’s starting to turn sour, then maybe best to transition to a lighter subject. 😁