Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie preparingfor their first bulletin together presenting TVNZ's 6pm in 2006. Photo / Martin Sykes, file
EDITORIAL
How many news presenters does it take to read an autocue?
It's not a joke, but the question has resurfaced around the removal of Wendy Petrie from the 1 News 6pm bulletins on TVNZ this week.
Petrie will be dropped from her dual anchor role as the state broadcaster moves to a single newsreader for weekday programmes, with Simon Dallow confirmed as the sole host.
The move is part of a Covid-19 restructure the company announced last month. TVNZ says Petrie, who has co-anchored the 6pm bulletin since 2006, will continue to present across TVNZ's other news and current affairs shows in a support presenter role.
This change is important, not only because our tax money is paying for this, but because effective delivery of news is essential to an informed public.
Rather than simple autocue readers, news anchors are journalists. Top news presenters understand the stories, which requires a good knowledge of local, national and international current affairs.
While maintaining continuity between segments as reporters deliver their respective stories, presenters also help us understand the significance or gravity of a story, their expressions and tone changing with the topics. In breaking news situations, they need to ask the most important and relevant questions to find out what the viewers need to know.
The nation has watched Petrie read the news alongside co-presenter Dallow for 14 years. She finishes at the end of August.
How viewers respond to the change, as the saying goes, remains to be seen.
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