Last week’s solar eclipse received extensive media coverage leading
up to the event.
MARK NICHOLSON, Cornwall County Council
’If you had asked on 10 August, as we counted well over double our usual
number of tourists, I would not have been sure. Now, having witnessed
the spectacle from the Eclipse Media Centre on the Lizard peninsula -
the clouds parted and we were privileged to watch every effect we read
about for months - I can definitely say that, if anything, we undersold
the experience. This was, without doubt, the most memorable press event
I have ever been involved in.’
MIKE MATHIESON, Cake
’It was horribly over-hyped and under-attended. The media tried to whip
up a storm. There was also a lack of understanding at the county council
as to how the public would react. The whole event was only marginally
saved by the magical experience of one minute and 55 seconds of
totality.’
KRISTEN LIPPINCOTT, Royal Observatory, Greenwich
’No, not at all. The weather demonstrated you can’t rely on the sky to
do what you want, but now people know how hard it is to be an
astronomer. From our perspective, there was a lot of misinformation
which caused problems. The medical expert who advised against wearing
the eclipse glasses meant many risked damaging their eyesight or didn’t
dare look at all. The very idea that people should watch such a
phenomenal celestial event on television rather than experience the real
thing!’
HOWELL JAMES, Brown Lloyd James
’The level of coverage the eclipse attracted indicated that, if it was
hyped, it deserved to be. This was a real event - no PR company was
behind it, and it touched millions of people’s lives. Unlike other
natural phenomenons - volcanoes, tornadoes, earthquakes and huge storms
- we knew when and where it was going to happen, so it merited its
billing.’
RICHARD HOUGHTON, Ketchum
’Not if you were a Cornish camp site owner or an eclipse festival
organiser, but for me, yes.The coverage was extensive for some days
before and continued long after. As there was no guarantee we would see
the eclipse clearly, you can only marvel at the level of hype. As
Gillian Reynolds of the Daily Telegraph wrote, this was an event best
enjoyed on the radio.’
