Newscast

Everyone knows that the Super Bowl is this Sunday, so to get into the mood and give some cooking tips for the celebration, WLBZ2 had Adam Richman, from the T.V show "Man vs. Food" be interviewed by reporter Rob Caldwell.

To critique Caldwell's skills, he didn't introduce Richman or tell the audience why he was there to speak. The only time that Richman was introduced was before Caldwell came onto the screen to interview Richman, and this was done by another anchor. I think that since Caldwell was interviewing Richman, he should have told who he was incase people missed it before.

A few other details that I picked up on that Caldwell could have done differently was to not say "Uhm" so much. It appeared that he didn't know what to say next at some points. Lastly, Caldwell cut off Richman a few times while he was still speaking. This gave the impression that he was rushing and wanted the interview to be over.

I would have done all of these mannerism that I have mentioned differently, but I also would have asked different questions. Caldwell asked questions of Richman's past like, "How did you get into the gig that you are in right now, and What is your favorite meal? (1)" I would have asked, "How can you make a Super Bowl Sunday meal that is different than the casual sub sandwich and hot wings? and What sort of healthy options are there to make?"

The conversation was very casual, which I think was a good approach. They were discussing something simple and informal, such as food for a football game. People wouldn't want formal language discussing food oriented for a football game. For example, one of the popular dishes for Super Bowl Sunday is chicken wings. Now, talking about chicken wings with formal language does not flow well. Richman tells his ideas of how chicken wings can be served in numerous ways in an "everyday sort of feel" tone (1). Caldwell's questions worked with Richman's language too by being casual.

I also enjoyed how Caldwell incorporated traditional Maine food in his questions to Richman, like "How does Maine lobster rate on your food scale? (1)" I think that this gave the whole newscast a larger meaning than just cooking for Super Bowl Sunday. Many Mainer's were able to relate to what Caldwell and Richman were talking about, even if they don't watch or cook for the Super Bowl.

The whole conversation was spoken in the present and future tense. This of course was because the Super Bowl isn't until this Sunday, and seemed to fit for the conversation.

Overall, I thought that Caldwell and Richman were lively and good humored, which gave the whole newscast a good appeal. Yes, different questions could have been included in my opinion, but that is because I have different interests in Super Bowl food than some people. I care more about the nutritional side. I'm sure any guy though would go crazy if their wife cooked a healthy meal for the big game!

Reference:

1) Caldwell, Rob. (Interviewer) & Richman, Adam. (Interviewee). (2010). Man vs. Food. [Interview transcript]. Retrieved from WLBZ2 Online site: http://www.wlbz2.com/video/default.aspx#/Cooking/%22Man+v.+Food%27s%22+Adam+Richman/49764939001/49746547001/64389204001