And yes ColinJ.. you see it all the time with news readers. And don't blame them tbh, you'd have to switch off reporting some of the things they have to on a daily basis.
I'm not saying that it happens all the time, but I have certainly seen it enough times to become sensitised to it. It tends to happen more on Channel 5 and ITV, less frequently on the BBC, but I don't think I've ever seen it on the Channel 4 news, which I think is the best on UK TV.
I agree that it must be very difficult to fully engage with awful events and remain composed when talking about them. I saw a newsreader almost reduced to tears once, and struggle to continue with the report. It's not a job that I would want ...
Anyway, my original post was not intended to be insulting towards newsreaders - I was simply pointing out that people sometimes go into mental autopilot mode and don't think about what they are doing***. I saw an intelligent colleague absent-mindedly stick a finger through the grille of a high-speed fan and get his fingernail ripped off - he looked genuinely surprised that it had happened. (Sorry for inflicting yet another boring anecdote on the forum!)
*** Not an invitation to make jokes about the pilots and the plane's autopilot ... I actually don't like jokes made about events in which people die!
