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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Michelle Cullen

RTE's Sarah McInerney hits out at LiveLine caller over 'sexually provocative' and 'vulgar' standing issue

RTE presenter Sarah McInerney has hit back at a LiveLine caller who took issue with the way presenters of current affairs programmes stand whilst addressing the camera.

The woman told RTE's Katie Hannon that she found some presenters' wide stances when doing pieces to camera to be "slightly sexually provocative" and "vulgar".

She said: "I am speaking mostly about presenters on current affairs programmes and the news. I'm talking about the nuances of visual presentation, and particularly the way presenters tend to stand.

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"You know their posture to me seems exaggerated, contrived, unnatural they tend to stand with their feet maybe 2ft apart and sometimes swivel on their left hip, and I just think it seems unnatural."

Sarah McInerney (RTE Prime Time/Twitter)

She added: "I think the natural way would probably be the way you would stand normally on a bus or in front of a group of people. My background is in teaching, and if I was addressing a group of students, there is no way I would stand with my two feet about 2ft apart.

"I think it's unladylike. I think it lacks decorum."

Asked what way, in her opinion, is the correct way to stand, the woman explained: "Well, I think less distance between your two feet. I think maybe one foot maybe slightly in front of the other I do think it does seem kind of denigrating, debasing, demeaning. Now, the PR people who are in charge of this would probably say that it's a powerful kind of a stance, but I just don't like it ".

The caller said the stance had subliminal messaging.

She said: "I'm wondering if there is a PR person who is dealing with the kind of nuances of visual presentation because there is a kind of subliminal messaging there that I've been taught to stand this way rather than what is natural to me."

She added: "I think it could be slightly sexually provocative. I think it's boarding on looking vulgar".

However, RTE Prime Time presenter Sarah McInerney clapped back at the caller in a tweet prior to appearing on Tuesday night's programme.

She said: "Lots of breaking news this evening. I hope I remember to stand, eh, narrowly"

People were quick to support the journalist's witty response saying: "I had to turn it off! And I love @KatieGHannon - I felt I was abandoning you Katie. But that lady had not much else to be worrying about and I try to listen and learn in all situations."

Another said: "Brilliant @SarahAMcInerney what an absolute load of rubbish stand however the hell u want to!"

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