News/Current Affairs Blog 3: BBC Click

Another uni coursework piece! Actually found this a pretty interesting show.

BBC News: Click
24m 5s
First broadcast 1.30am Sat 16 November 2013

Click is the BBC’s flagship technology programme, presented by Spencer Kelly. It comprises current news features, as well as a section with tech headlines and Webscape, which features websites and smartphone apps that may be useful or entertaining.

In this episode, Kelly is on location in Tokyo. He begins the show with a feature about smart taxis.

The next feature is about technology that helps the elderly in Japan, reported on by Dan Simmons. First up is a robot suit that helps older people continue with agricultural work. As well as interviewing a Professor from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology to provide a sense of authority, the feature includes a more human angle. A 68-year old man is filmed using the suit and at home with his wife. I think this is really helpful in connecting viewers to technology. Without the personal angle it is easy to just think of a technological feature as something from the future that doesn’t have any practical applications.

The feature continues with more tech aimed at the elderly: a self-driving trolley and a seal robot. Another Professor of Technology is interviewed, as well as a care home resident. These interviewees provide authority and a human angle, as with the robot suit segment.

The show then cuts back to Kelly, who introduces the tech news. In a huge contrast to the feature about tech aimed at Japan’s ageing population, two of the stories are about social networks, while another is on a business venture of Justin Bieber’s. This seems strange to me, as I doubt people who are interested in hearing about Justin Bieber are going to want to watch a show that primarily concentrates on the elderly.

Next up is a feature about the launch of Sony’s Playstation 4, which I would say fits better with the interests of people who are interested in news related to social networks. Mark Cieslak appears in a studio set up to look like a living room to demonstrate some of the features of the console. For people who aren’t particularly enthusiastic about searching out technology news, this seems like quite a useful segment. Even as a tech enthusiast, I hadn’t had a chance to see what was new with the PS4, so I learnt a bit about the console by watching this feature.

We’re then back to Kelly, who shows off an underground bike storage system in Tokyo, which again fits with a younger audience who primarily cycle, as they may not be able to afford to drive.

Finally, Kate Russell presents Webscape, which includes information on some travel-related apps and a job hunting site.

Overall, this show seems very targeted at younger people who encounter technology in daily life but perhaps need to know a bit more about it, without feeling alienated by arcane details. Using a human angle in the most obscure section, which is about tech for elderly people, certainly helps to connect this demographic with the tech. The rest of the show features topics that are directly relevant to an audience of young professionals.