On Wednesday 16th November, BBC News Entertainment Correspondent, Lizo Mzimba, visited Queen’s Gate to speak to the Vth Form who are preparing a controlled assessment analysis of the language of the news.  Lizo was the main presenter of Newsround between 1998 and 2008 and was able to share his experiences in presenting information about the ways that children are addressed by TV producers.  

Perhaps the most interesting part of Lizo’s presentation concerned the way that rapid developments in technology and the mass media have forced language to evolve in order to make news relevant to young people in the twenty-first century.  Our girls have more choice than any other generation and TV producers are aware of the importance of getting and maintaining attention, if they are to compete with other channels.  However, the BBC’s public service remit also impacts upon the choices of language and content, as the corporation strives to create a balance between popular appeal and the relaying of important information for the public good.  

The Vth Form girls were delighted by Mr Mzimba’s talk.  He had taken the time to construct a speech that was entirely relevant to the girls’ academic focus, whilst entertaining them with humorous anecdotes about his time in front of the camera.  Students were eager to ask questions—and could barely contain their joy at hearing that his next appointment of the day was an interview with the stars of the new Twilight film! 

We would like to thank Lizo for an excellent talk.