As sort of an adjunct to this post, a little more about wearing a poppy on TV.

Jon Snow, on Channel 4 News, won’t (he hasn’t in years):

I do not believe in wearing anything which represents any kind of statement … I am begged to wear an Aids Ribbon, a breast cancer ribbon, a Marie Curie flower… You name it, from the Red Cross to the RNIB, they send me stuff to wear to raise awareness, and I don’t. And in those terms, and those terms alone, I do not and will not wear a poppy.

Sarah Smith, on More4 News, will:

I agree that newscasters shouldn’t wear all sorts of political or charitable adornments. The news studio is not the place for us to declare our commitment to fighting breast cancer or declaring we want to make poverty history by wearing ribbons or wristbands … But I think poppies are different. They are so ubiquitous for the first 11 days of November that not wearing one makes more of statement than having one on … I know Jon Snow has one on in the office – or in the street. But viewers who don’t see him in real life don’t know that. Many assume he’s taking a stand against militarism or the Iraq war. And so I think if we don’t wear a poppy we raise more questions about our personal beliefs than we do if we pin one on.

I have to say I lean more towards Snow’s point of view. I don’t see the point of institutional edicts, like the BBC’s, that state that all presenters must wear a poppy: Surely that’s no more meaningful than none wearing one. For entertainment presenters, I think it should be a matter of personal choice. But if we’re banning all manner of other symbols for news presenters, then why keep the poppy – its no less a symbol of a personal opinion than a cross, after all.

Interact with this post

Your Comments and Responses

Hi, all. Nice site…I really like your site ! Good job man.+

» This comment was received at 16:42 on 01 March 07

Write a new comment or response