Putting the world back on the map

Abstract

The anchor of Sky TV's World News Tonight says that the hands down winner for the most frequently asked question about his new job is whether he wants to join the likes of Jeremy Paxman and John Humphrys as a tough interrogator of politicians and top government officials. He writes: "Although I am certainly flattered that people would even consider putting me in the same category as those two icons of British journalism, the short answer is no... That style is just not something to which I am well suited, nor is it something to which I aspire." Rubin continues: "In my view, the function of the British and American media is the same, but the form is often different. Much of the difference in form is a direct result of differences between the American and British governmental systems... Some British reporters seem to think that their often aggressive treatment of Prime Ministers should be the norm and the deference of American reporters somehow reflects their lack of scepticism or tendency to be 'in the tank' for whoever occupies the Oval Office."