I would agree that the profession needs to provide TV companies with
guidance on the content and presentation of their 'archive-based'
programmes; I am particularly concerned by the implications given by the
trailer for 'Blood Ties' that everyone has interesting/famous ancestors
(though I haven't seen the actual programme, so I don't know if they
continue to imply this)...given the likelihood that most families have
more 'ordinary' ancestors, I foresee a large number of disappointed
punters!
My other bugbear is the irritating frequency with which the phrase 'dusty
archives' is used in the media (see the BBC's 'History 2000' booklet for
just one example), implying not only that we are an obscure cultural
backwater, populated by eccentric recluses, but also that we can't be
bothered to look after the records in our care. All the efforts we make
to raise our profile are being knocked back down by the very publicity we
are trying to attract, simply because journalists, researchers and the
like are playing word-association games rather than taking the time to
think of better ways of describing us.
I think we need to help the BBC and all the others to do their homework!
Karen Davidson
Project Archivist
Gloucestershire Record Office
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|