Louise Goodman!!

[djinvicta]

I say, throw out smiley Jardine and "goooooo!" James Allen, and replace them both with Louise. What a trojan woman after her tragic loss to continue in the way she does. To all you knockers(!); Hands Off!

[Suzy]

Originally posted by spider
Louise may be better than James and Ted, but that is hardly shining praise. Louise makes me cringe everytime I hear her interviews, and her pointless, irritatingly obvious questions are not in the slightest bit informative, or interesting. It's her discussions with drivers who have retired that get on my nerves more than the post-race 'behind the scenes' interviews that she conducts. There is no obvious depth to her knowledge, and her painstakingly patronising questions of "You must be really disappointed" are nothing short of lazy - what does she expect them to say "No Louise, I'm delighted that I'm out of the race..."?!

When Kimi mumbled back in short, angry bursts to her drivel of questions I smiled, as it's exactly the same way I would have treated her in that situation. You're in a bit of shock, following being spun into the wall through a failure at 140-odd Mph, and you're being asked if you are disappointed - I mean, ridiculous!

Having someone like a Ben Edwards in the pits to start with (to ease him into the ITV F1 setup ) or even a character like Irvine, someone who, if asking no-brainer questions would do so in a tongue in cheek way, would perhaps get a more informative response.

For an Ex-F1 PR lady at the 'personable' Jordan team, you would have thought that she would have been suited to the role, but to be honest I don't think she's got any better than when ITV first took over the F1 TV coverage.

She's another useless cog in the ITV F1 setup. I've tried to ignore her, and simply listen to the drivers replies, if they decide to answer in a more expansive way than her questions warrant.

Read my post again Spider. The point of telling drivers that they must be disappointed is a good way to calm them down. It tells them that other people are sympathetic to them. When you have been spun out of a race at 140mph and hit a wall the last thing on earth you want is a bonehead sticking a microphone under your nose and telling you that you are a pillock! Yes the resounding punch-up might make good television in your eyes but it's hardly professional.

In the case of mechanical failures, drivers rarely know what has caused a failure in something has complex as an F1 car until they have returned to their garages and seen their telemetry. All Louise can do is ask them what they think happened; those sentences can be vital information for a team too.

May I suggest Spider that you are the one lacking in knowledge? You have no idea what it is like in the pressure-cooker world of F1 and you don't know how to handle very disappointed drivers. She has limited time to interview a driver as they are rushed around and she has to keep to tv schedules. I'm sure that given the chance she'd love to conduct a full-length interview with an upset driver but that is just not possible. The drivers will be running to and fro as well between garage, motorhome and to the stewards (if they've been really naughty). The chances are that a driver will only respond to three questions/comments. So here is how I see Louise's approach: When a driver retires from a race and the cause is not immediately apparent (e.g. Montoya at the weekend), the first question you ask is "What happened?". The next approach is to sympathise with the driver "bad luck". And the third and final question is to thank them for taking the time to talk to her. It works and it works well!

[KA]

Originally posted by Suzy
Read my post again Spider. The point of telling drivers that they must be disappointed is a good way to calm them down. It tells them that other people are sympathetic to them. When you have been spun out of a race at 140mph and hit a wall the last thing on earth you want is a bonehead sticking a microphone under your nose and telling you that you are a pillock! Yes the resounding punch-up might make good television in your eyes but it's hardly professional.

So here is how I see Louise's approach: When a driver retires from a race and the cause is not immediately apparent (e.g. Montoya at the weekend), the first question you ask is "What happened?". The next approach is to sympathise with the driver "bad luck". And the third and final question is to thank them for taking the time to talk to her. It works and it works well!

Spot on Suzy - the suggestion of someone like Irvine for the role really made me smile- you can just imagine Eddie walking up to Kimi or JPM after a retirement, asking the questions in an irreverent, tongue-in-cheek manner, and getting a punch in the mouth in reply....

[spider]

Suzy, I appreciate your point of view, yet don't agree with it. This is a forum, and we don't all have to conform to the same opinions. You may be a supporter of Louise, if so fair enough, but let me just say that I work as a journalist, as well as various other duties, and have a large list of friends within the F1 paddock, so I do know what I am talking about.

I had the pleasure of working at Brands Hatch in the commentary booth with Brian Jones, and Ben Edwards - two very skilled commentators, and not once did they come across with pointless questions.

I am not saying that I am right and anyone who disagrees with my view is wrong, and for the record I believe she has been incredibly brave in coming back to her job so quickly after such a personal tragedy. However, I am entitled to say that I believe there are far more people out there who would be considerably better at doing her job.

If you disagree, fair enough, but I believe she isn't a talented interviewer.

[Suzy]

I've written a hell of a lot of motorsport articles, taken a hell of a lot of motorsport pictures, work in publishing full-time - and I have a lot of friends in the F1 paddock! You're not the only one. Live tv work is very different from sitting in a commentary box - there are very different pressures.

I guess I've watched Louise and many commentators as well as static journalists over the years, learned from her skills, taken her personal advice on writing and photography and I'm doing pretty-well for myself as a result.

so what questions would YOU ask then "Spider" (do you have a proper name?). Here's the scenario I'm going to give you (and anybody else who wants to answer it):

You have 20 seconds to get a hell of a lot of information out of a rather dazed and extremely angry driver who has just hit a wall (and several competitors) at 140mph. He's not seen his team, he's rushing back to the garage and the pits and doesn't have any time to chat to anybody - he doesn't have the inclination to speak to anybody either. There are 20 other people with microphones all trying to speak to him too at exactly the same time whilst the PR person is praying that the driver won't be provoked into libelling somebody on live TV! In the meantime, you know that the race-deciding pitstop is due to come up in the next lap or so which means the crew would have to cut away from you. What are YOU going to do to ensure that YOU are the one he speaks to and not the person from your biggest tv-station rival???

[JimW]

Originally posted by KA
. . . you can just imagine Eddie walking up to Kimi or JPM after a retirement, asking the questions in an irreverent, tongue-in-cheek manner, and getting a punch in the mouth in reply....

Ooh, yes please.

Jim

[spider]

Suzy, may I suggest you attack the post, and not the poster, as are the forum rules I believe.

Secondly, it is not my job to work for ITV. I have not said that I personally would be a huge step forward, but she isn't the person who I would pick, if I was in charge of the broadcasting of the show, to be in that role. Perhaps, with the pointed questions above you would be better

One person who currently works with PR, who I would have in Louise's place would be one Ann Bradshaw. A PR legend, a kind and determined lady who I have the upmost respect for, as had half the F1 paddock, I'm sure she would do a far more interesting job

[spider]

Originally posted by JimW
Ooh, yes please.

Jim

It'd be good TV too

[MacMan]

I think there'd be a big queue of people wanting to punch Eddie in the mouth lol

[BootsOntheSide]

When you look it at this way, Louise is pretty good. She often gets crucial information out of the drivers, especially considering the circumstances. Drivers are more likely to open up calmly if greeted by a friendly and consoling face, and her interviews rarely end in stroppy outbursts or family-unfriendly language, despite the heated situations she interviews in.

[spider]

That's a fair comment Boots One guy who would be quite good also would be Adam Cooper - he seems to be close friends with many of the drivers, and his interviews are IMO always very interesting...?

[Tim Falce]

Well I like her......and so does my wife!

[Marbot]

Eddie to Kimi:So what was that all about then there Mika!(Kimi retires for upteenth time).Kimi to Eddie:*!?:*!*$?!(small fight ensues).That's just not going to happen to Louise is it.

[Suzy]

I don't think I've attacked anybody here:confused: I was merely wondering what other people would do in Louise's situation; namely those people who already have "experience".

[GTRMagic]

I didnt like Mark Webber's response at the weekend... he ****** up majorly, but it wasnt really pressed home by Louise.

I have no problem with her... nor Mr Brundle (altho at times he can be monotonal... maybe its frustration from being with the other bloke....)

BRING BACK MUDDY TALKER!!!!

[BIGMOUTH]

Originally posted by spider
Louise may be better than James and Ted, but that is hardly shining praise. Louise makes me cringe everytime I hear her interviews, and her pointless, irritatingly obvious questions are not in the slightest bit informative, or interesting. It's her discussions with drivers who have retired that get on my nerves more than the post-race 'behind the scenes' interviews that she conducts. There is no obvious depth to her knowledge, and her painstakingly patronising questions of "You must be really disappointed" are nothing short of lazy - what does she expect them to say "No Louise, I'm delighted that I'm out of the race..."?!

When Kimi mumbled back in short, angry bursts to her drivel of questions I smiled, as it's exactly the same way I would have treated her in that situation. You're in a bit of shock, following being spun into the wall through a failure at 140-odd Mph, and you're being asked if you are disappointed - I mean, ridiculous!

That is spot-on, I certainly coulden't have put it better! Of course I am sorry her b/f died, and yes she returned to her work quickly. However please don't think I'm bad for saying this, but during that weekend she was absent for those tragic circumstances, her replacement - Allan McNish - proved himself as a MUCH more interesting, capable and indepth personality for the job!!! I can honestly say I don't think I have EVER found any one of her interviews remotely worth listening too. She does the absolute MINIMUM and every time it's pretty much just going through the motions with the same old completely predictable sentances like 'you must be disappointed' or 'bad luck' and IMO it's just not worth bothering with.

Ted Kravitz is also terrible, albeit actually quite good for a laugh, the way he gets muddled up about everything!

But seriously I thought McNish was brilliant at the job when he stood in for Louise.

[T0MAT01]

Louise is very professional in her interviews, whilst also being friendly to the drivers. Whats wrong with that?

People talk about drivers deserving their seats, well I feel that Louise has done a great job for ITV and is just as deserving of her place within the team as Martin Brundle or anyone else for that matter.

There aren't all that many women in f1, so it must be difficult for those that are in it, but she plays her role very well and seems to have befriended most drivers and fits in just fine.

[BootsOntheSide]

Brundle and perhaps Louise are the only people in the team who are worthy of their places though Tomato. I would urge Bigmouth to re-read some of the original responses, especially Suzy's hypothetical situation, and work out what he'd do.

[Fuzzyfelt]

Louise doesn't really do 'interviews' as such. Her job is to get a reaction on the spot and most drivers aren't going to be in any position to tell her, or us, exactly why their car has given up. Most drivers have very little to say on any subject as far as I can tell and therefore 'interviews' with them are never going to be particularly riveting.

She asks them an obvious question in a way that grabs and keeps their attention and they state the obvious. How fascinating is that ever going to be?

[djinvicta]

Louise; if youre reading this stuff here; take no notice; I truly object to topics that attack people for a job they do well; In fact I dont think this Forem is for this type of thread. Moderator, throw this one out; its sexist and an absolute waste of time to someone that does a good job, with experiance, and to be belittled by some people is pretty low eh?

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by djinvicta
Louise; if youre reading this stuff here; take no notice; I truly object to topics that attack people for a job they do well; In fact I dont think this Forem is for this type of thread. Moderator, throw this one out; its sexist and an absolute waste of time to someone that does a good job, with experiance, and to be belittled by some people is pretty low eh?

I'm going to be even worse!

She's adorable!

[djinvicta]

Whether that is tongue in cheek or not Peter, I cant make out. Lets just ditch knocking someone with bags of experiance and get on to real issues that matter.....

[Peter Mallett]

Huh?

[djinvicta]

Sorry Pete; dont know what youve said previous; all Im saying is let the lady be; shes got enough grief in her life at the mo

[djinvicta]

This thread should have been in the recycled bin when it started..................