A discovery: politics is everywhere. Not ground-breaking as discoveries go, I grant you. But I suppose what I’ve really discovered, is that I must have been squandering huge amounts of energy avoiding politics before now. Across every radio and TV channel, the bonging of Big Ben was the signal to channel hop. So as soon as I decided to take an interest in politics, the veil was lifted and news appeared to spout from every screen and speaker within earshot.

The chiming of Big Ben is in many ways a sound comparable to the sounds and rhythms of every news bulletin. The perfect middle-class monotone of the newscaster. The well-rehearsed words of a speech. It’s emphasis practised and predictable.

One could hardly describe the average news segment as charismatic. But of course the general flatness in delivery, archetypal of the newscaster, is intentional. Their job is to remain impartial. Objectivity over subjectivity. The complete removal of emotive responsibility. It is the unwritten contract held between public and newscaster. Let the stories speak for themselves so that the audience may draw their own conclusions. Yet, despite this intentional removal of personality, we are still obliged to sit through the casual adlibbing of co-anchors, usually with little success at achieving nonchalance.

This impersonal approach hardly makes one enthused about watching the news either. No wonder the viewings are going down. You know what young people are like. Give us bright colours, made up words and sound effects. That’ll get the young’uns involved! Patronisation of my own age bracket aside, Twitter is the news channel for the younger generations.

TV is attempting to assimilate with the new media, displaying Twitter feeds alongside live coverage. The effect is somewhat confusing, and many viewers agree.

“Dave from Tumbleridge says, ‘Why is the Chancellor sharing half the screen with the thoughts of @iLivThruTwitter and #tags about his unkempt nose hair? It is distracting and inane.’ Thank you for your thoughts Dave…”

I am inclined to agree with Dave.

I heard one report a few days ago, in which they were analysing big-name politicians with regards to their Twitter activity. Supposedly, this gleaned evidence of their commitment to public engagement. I am not convinced.

What can I learn about a politician’s worth by hearing about how they apologised to Mrs Dunstable of North Wimbleshire because the council had failed to properly prune the hedgerows?

I am equally unimpressed by tales of how a Labour MP tweeted something a bit rude to a Tory MP, who, in search of a witty put-down, returned with “No, you’re an upper-middle-class white man.”

That’s all for now.

Anyway, better go tweet about this.

(2 weeks to go. Still undecided.)