Rory Stewart's Prolonged Stare on Newsnight Becomes Viral Sensation
A clip of the former Conservative MP fixing an intense gaze on a fellow panellist during a BBC Newsnight appearance has spread widely on social media.
A brief moment from a recent BBC Newsnight appearance by former Conservative MP Rory Stewart has gone viral online, after a clip showing him staring intently at a fellow panellist for several seconds spread widely on social media.
Stewart, who has held a wide range of roles over his career including running an NGO in Afghanistan, serving as a Conservative leadership candidate, teaching at Harvard, working as deputy governor of an Iraqi province, and now co-hosting the popular podcast The Rest Is Politics alongside Alastair Campbell, appeared on Newsnight on September 18. In the days since, a short clip capturing his prolonged, fixed gaze at another panellist during the discussion has circulated extensively online, drawing far more attention than many of the more substantive moments of his varied career.
The clip's viral spread illustrates how brief, unscripted moments from live television broadcasts can take on an independent life on social media, often detached from the original context of the discussion in which they occurred. Newsnight, the BBC's long-running current affairs program, regularly features panel discussions among politicians, journalists and commentators on the day's news topics.
Stewart has built a significant public profile in recent years through his podcasting work, which covers British and international politics, adding to an already unusual career trajectory that spans government, academia, and international development work.
Details on the substance of the Newsnight discussion during which the moment occurred, and the identity of the fellow panellist involved, were not fully specified in the initial report, which focused primarily on the viral spread of the clip itself.
Sources
- The eyes have it: Rory Stewart’s ‘magnificently strange’ Newsnight moment goes viral — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
Related articles
Iran's President Pezeshkian Meets Senior US Media Executives in New York
President Masoud Pezeshkian held talks with editors-in-chief and senior officials from American media outlets during his visit to New York.
What to consider before buying travel insurance
Consumer expert Harry Kind outlines key factors travelers should weigh when purchasing a policy, according to the BBC.
What Can the US Learn From Other Countries on Protecting Journalists?
A discussion examines how press-freedom protections in other countries compare with safeguards for journalists in the United States.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration's White House access ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico
A Trump-nominated judge ruled that the news outlets are likely to succeed in their claim that they were denied due process when barred from White House access, Al Jazeera reports.
US judge orders White House to restore press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico
A federal judge has ruled that President Trump must reverse his ban on three major news outlets from the White House premises.
Federal judge rejects White House security argument, orders press access restored
A US federal judge has dismissed national security justifications for barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, ordering access reinstated.
Comments
Loading comments…