Cellphones and Mike McRoberts

As I was driving home today I was thinking about a news report I heard when the using cellphones while driving laws were changing. It was a snippet on those on-the-hour news things about how cellphones are greatest cause of death on our roads. Pretty normal except that I thought it meant that the cellphone flew off the dashboard (where I keep mine) and smacked one in the head causing death.

I now realise that they mean crashing while using a cellphone.



Then there is the famous Mike McRoberts episode. Mr McRoberts is a reporter for TV3 and he goes everywhere man. If there's a disaster, there's ol'Mike right in the middle of it and he's not just a pretty face he really helps people, saves them even. He's a hero.



Last year there was a series of print ads featuring Mike and Hilary Barry etc that had a photo of them in fraught situations (having your photo taken right at that moment would not be something I'd think of but that's why I look after Young Farmers and don't lead an exciting and dangerous life in marginal countries with disaster issues) and the strapline was

They don't just present the news.

They get it.

So I took that to mean they understood it as well as communicated it. Boy was I wrong.

Turns out they physically go out and get the news as well as presenting it.



That's pretty shallow don't you think? Any fool can go get a news story but do they really understand what's going on? I would suggest not.

Explains the poor quality of news as due to budget cuts there are fewer reporters and so the presenters have to double up, that's what the ad tells me after I had it explained to me. That sounds really terrible to me, why would a network news programme want to promote their lack of money???

But the story goes on.

Because my unique interpretation causes great mirth in my house, and after I blogged so nicely about Mags too, this is where the ad is situated in my kitchen.

In the kitchen, in the centre of the kitchen where everyone goes, where everyone walks past from the kitchen door, where everyone stops and asks why it's there.

Don't you love families?

P.S. It's Thursday Oti, cyclists and Bondi. When one doors opens....