Vox Pop Vice. Trust Me, I’m A Local Community Expert.

Fatchecker
The Haven
Published in
3 min readSep 4, 2023
Photo of 7" single cover for I Know There’s Something Going On by Frida. Photo: Polar. Abba go at sharing what you know.
Photo: Polar. Abba go at sharing what you know.

Hi ev’ry body!

I’m here to tell you how to navigate live news media.

What makes me an expert? Well you’re here reading this ain’t you?

What is Vox Pop? A shortening of, Vox Populi.

“Vox populi is a Latin phrase that literally means “voice of the people”. — Wikipedia

So, someone sticks a microphone under your conk and asks you what you think about a major incident in your area.

What’s your area? Well it could be your street, down your street, the next street but one, that street you often go down, or simply “that street across the way.”

Photo of The Keystone Cops the fictional, humorously incompetent policemen featured in silent film slapstick comedies. Photo: Harry Vallejo. Don’t confuse being informed with being in uniform.
Photo: Harry Vallejo. Don’t confuse being informed with being in uniform.

Back to rocking the mic, what do you say?

Well the first thing you need to bear in mind is that you are representing your local community.

What’s your local community? It’s your street, your estate, or, your gated kingdom (alright for some innit).

So whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances, embarrass yourself and your local community.

To make an impact, guarantee what you say is well knowledgeable and well authoritative.

Remember. You want the audience to say, “Damn that vox pop made my day.”

Be authentic. Be genuine. Be believable.

Try any of these starters to show the news media your knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

Photo of silent film actress Mabel Normand about to throw a plate of custard that could pass for porridge. Photo: Keystone Studios. Don’t confuse knowledge with porridge.
Photo: Keystone Studios. Don’t confuse knowledge with porridge.

I’m shocked and surprised.

I’m shocked but not surprised.

I’m not shocked but I am surprised.

I didn’t actually see what happened but….

I didn’t actually see what happened, but me mate did and they said….

You don’t expect that sort of thing round here.

It’s the kind of thing you expect to happen in [insert name of town or city that you don’t like].

I was only saying the other day that this sort of thing might happen.

Photo of Strongman Eugen Sandow, considered the father of modern bodybuilding, 1900. Photo: Rischgitz/Getty Images. Don’t confuse being an eyewitness with being into physical fitness.
Photo: Rischgitz/Getty Images. Don’t confuse being an eyewitness with being into physical fitness.

There was police everywhere.

There was fire brigade everywhere.

There was ambulances everywhere.

The newses were everywhere.

I don’t live round here but I know the area.

It’s normally so quiet.

It can be a bit, y’know, round here, but you’d never expect this.

I saw everything, well pretty much everything.

I saw everything, well apart from what you just said.

I just came out to see what were happening.

Well. Twitters says….

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Fatchecker
The Haven

Culturally diverse blue collar ageing b-boy and incessant moaner. Midlander. yUK. Pronoun: Amateur hour.