#A news anchor on a green background tv#

Then there’s this grey area: Do the people who log in from a weird corner with a bunch of detritus in the background (Krugman) not care about what it looks like? Or are they trying to project the sense that they’re the kind of person who is too busy and important to care about such frivolity? Or-and this is what really keeps me up at night-are they trying to play down the signifiers of wealth that might otherwise sneak into the frame if they were to set up shop in their offices or living rooms? Then, there’s what I like to think of as the chaotic neutral (Bremmer), in which it’s clear the person has gone to some lengths to put themselves in front of a nondescript background, but something strange, funny, or just impossible to make out remains. There are those for whom the particulars of framing a flattering, aesthetically interesting shot seem to come naturally (for example, Beddoes). Instead of the glowing LED non-place of your standard broadcast studio, we’re now getting a rare whiff of individual taste, and an opportunity to engage in some armchair psychology as it pertains to theories of self-presentation. But the medium that has been affected most dramatically by social distancing is television, which has been dominated by the same bland, floodlit aesthetic for decades. In an era of Zoom meetings, streaming workout classes and gratuitous Instagram Lives, we’ve gotten an unprecedented look into the homes of colleagues, fitness instructors, world-famous DJs, bored celebrities and internet-favorite comedians. A neutral setup, but there appeared to be some kind of wooden slab leaning against the window frame, the exact function of which I couldn’t quite make out but spent minutes trying to. In contrast, Beddoes spoke to us from what appeared to be an elegant library, subtly but not dramatically lit, the spines of hardcover books interspersed with silver-rimmed photo frames, the camera aligned perfectly with the lines of the shelves.īremmer, meanwhile, had his computer positioned by a window, a teal armchair just visible behind him. At one point in the broadcast, the Nobel Prize-winning economist took a sip from a mug that said “Shut Up and Deal With It,” designed in the style of those “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters.

Krugman, earbuds firmly in place, sat at a slight angle in front of a modernist staircase and a table covered in all manner of clutter: colorful blown glass vases, wire-frame file boxes, candlesticks. I’m too focused on what’s behind everyone to process any other information.įor a panel discussion about the future of lockdowns and the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Zakaria invited the New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, the Economist editor Zanny Minton Beddoes, and political scientist Ian Bremmer, all of whom were streaming live from their homes.

#A news anchor on a green background tv#

I don’t remember much of what anyone says on TV these days, and I’ve watched more cable in the past month than I have in years. I don’t remember anything anyone said on Fareed Zakaria’s show on CNN last Sunday.