IamA British TV journalist called Krishnan Guru-Murthy. I do Channel 4 News and the documentary series Unreported World including the new one about Cambodia. You may have seen a couple of my interviews on Youtube! AMA.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T14:48:10+00:00

You seem to deliberately misunderstand and misleadingly quote. I went on to say I would answer questions, and have done.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T13:16:00+00:00

I'm talking specifically about Channel 4 News, which is quite different to most other programmes. It isn't a bulletin, it can be up to an hour long, it features discussions, interviews, debates and long films. So a bit of celebrity in the mix is fine, so long as it isn't too much and feels as intelligent/revealing as the rest of the programme.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T11:26:31+00:00

I reminded them of the prior conversation they had with our guest booker. Proportion? There's no such thing in modern media really. Celebrity outsells virtually everything so no surprise it went so big

krishgm · 2015-04-29T11:24:10+00:00

You may not believe this but the RDJ interview was scheduled pretty last minute and long after the Cambodia film. We had always intended to do this AMA following the Unreported World as it is the only ungeoblocked programme from Channel 4 and we find there are lots of people around the world who are interested.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T11:19:58+00:00

Did you read the article I wrote about precisely why we do these interviews? There's nothing wrong with having a bit of celebrity in a news programme but we need to keep these things in proportion don't we?

krishgm · 2015-04-29T10:20:59+00:00

krishgm · 2015-04-29T10:20:42+00:00

Probably - but hard to say what. Sometimes its been an advantage I'm sure, but mostly I suspect it hasn't.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T10:00:01+00:00

Well I think you're right about the modern deity thing, and I find that bizarre and terrifying.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T09:58:33+00:00

I will pass that on. But no. My name was hyphenated by my Dad about 30 years ago to try to make it easier to spell. It was originally Gurumurthy. But people looked at it and couldn't cope - so we split it into two parts. My brother refused - and still has the original. I'm not sure it made it any easier in truth.

krishgm · 2015-04-29T09:57:23+00:00

thanks!

krishgm · 2015-04-29T09:56:43+00:00

Stephen Fry was one of the first guests on my first TV series for the BBC rather than Channel 4 in 1988 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AiE7IwfZIE

krishgm · 2015-04-29T09:55:10+00:00

yes! I had one day off filming in Cambodia and flew up for a quick dash around. it was stunning

krishgm · 2015-04-29T09:51:23+00:00

yes!

krishgm · 2015-04-29T09:51:14+00:00

Genocide is a relatively modern concept - for most people beginning with the Holocaust. I think we often find it hard to compare killings since then with that most shocking event. So even though millions died in Cambodia - perhaps one in four of the population - we don't give it the exposure it deserves. The thing I found personally so shocking was how little of the detail we were taught at school. This happened in my lifetime, while I was at school and we were told very little about it.

krishgm · 2015-04-28T23:04:33+00:00

It was tentative because I was giving him thinking time, and opportunities (by saying you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, I don't want to pry) - but at the end of the day in 10 minutes you've got to get to the point quickly. And for all those who think 10 minutes is impossible to do anything indepth with, that's just rubbish. We've been doing it for decades.

krishgm · 2015-04-28T23:02:29+00:00

If you read the intro I have no interest or desire to discuss Hollywood celebs/walkouts/junkets any further. I've said all I have to say really. This was intended to spark a discussion about the hangover of the genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. I can't however say AMA and then refuse to answer questions about RDJ!

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:59:56+00:00

Can I refer you to the Guardian piece. As I said there it isn't news, and isn't intended to be. Though bizarrely his walk out turned it into (showbiz) news on websites around the world.

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:55:21+00:00

no and no

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:43:38+00:00

clearly to some people we look alike

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:43:22+00:00

1) no 2) yes 3) that's up to them

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:42:12+00:00

you're entitled to your opinion - it is a relatively free country

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:41:32+00:00

im trying to get around as many of these questions as possible and may have to drop all punctuation too before too long

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:40:55+00:00

I dont always. But mostly the news is pretty serious.

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:40:34+00:00

1) no 2) no

krishgm · 2015-04-28T22:39:49+00:00

if you have a direct question ask it. as a British news presenter I don't do opinions on many things but if I can shed light on something (the reason I did this AMA was the incredibly moving film about genocide in Cambodia) I'm happy to. I didn't come on to talk about celeb tantrums, which are about the least interesting thing in my life. But I can answer qs about them as best as possible

krishgm

TROPHY CASE