The 2020 Presidential Election is a hot topic right now, to say the least. Literally, everyone and their mama is waiting to see the results of this memorable election.
Not just here in the United States, it's what everyone is talking about around the world. Seriously, after biting all of my nails off and stress eating all week, I decided to stop watching the local news here in the United States and turned to BBC News to see what the rest of the world was doing. Well, apparently, they are stressing right along with us. In fact, they are all tuning in for what they call "drama," and quite frankly, I can't blame them.
The first story on BBC news was covering the election. The anchors talked about the two presidential candidates, current President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, giving a brief overview, like this, of what is currently happening. Then they tossed it over to a political analyst who broke down the remaining states and what exactly is being counted at this time.
Clearly, since BBC News is based in London, the network typically provides background knowledge for its viewers who are unfamiliar with the process and customs of other countries. In this case, the network was sure to mention how the county election officials in the U.S. select residents to participate in the voting process and count the votes. They even talked about states having over 100 people rotating 8-hour shifts, physically opening ballots, straightening them, and then putting them one by one in the machine. Basically, conveying how labor-intensive and time consuming the counting process is. On the other hand, this doesn't typically happen in our local news, possibly because they believe our viewers already know this information. However, I don't think it would hurt to briefly refresh our memories to ensure everyone understands the process.
When it comes to the way the anchors and reporters are delivering the news, there is definitely a distinction between U.S. local news and BBC News. For instance, Fox News, a U.S. local news network, delivers its stories with a hint of bias in their voices. The anchors are typically speaking a matter of factly looking to persuade their viewers to believe their perspectives, like this. In contrast, BBC News has its reporters delivering the facts rather than opinions on the matter.
However, the news stories' format and style and how they are assembled are similar in U.S. local news and BBC News. They both start with the latest breaking news story, which for today is the U.S. Presidential Election, following the inverted pyramid method. Then their stories trickle down by importance and ending with the happy fluff piece. For instance, WBTV News, a local U.S. station, ended it's nightly news with this fun story, while BBC News ended their night with this one. Both stories were light and fun, with the intent to relieve viewers of their anxiety from the top stories.
Nevertheless, there is a difference in the news displays. For example, U.S. News screens are filled with live tickers that display updating news, weather, sports, etc. In comparison, BBC News has little to no tickers on their screens. Some may argue this because America is always on the go and wants to know it all, while the U.K. is more relaxed and patient.
On that note, may the food be with you during this stressful time.
Until next time, peace out! ✌️
xo, Sequoia