# What's this swat on PBS?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 30, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080 "2008-11-30T18:59:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080/1 "2008-11-30T18:59:44Z")
Early on in a spot for _The Newshour_ on PBS, someone takes a swat at an interviewer. It goes by pretty quick, but it looks familiar to me.
Anyone know the story?
Peace,
mangeorge
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080/2 "2008-11-30T19:03:03Z")
Could you give a little more? What do you mean by a “swat”? Is it verbal or physical? And what is it that looks familiar to you, the swat? The guest? The script?
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080/3 "2008-11-30T19:37:22Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Could you give a little more? What do you mean by a “swat”? Is it verbal or physical? And what is it that looks familiar to you, the swat? The guest? The script?
I’m pretty sure you’d have to have seen it to know what I’m referring to.
It’s on the street, and there’s a guy with a mic and someone almost off camera who swats (with a hand) at the mic holder. It’s probably a cut from a segment on the show.
There’s really not much more to say about it.
You’re trying to “whoosh” me, aren’t you? 😛
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### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080/4 "2008-11-30T23:13:01Z")
> [@mangeorge](#):
>
> You’re trying to “whoosh” me, aren’t you? 😛
Probably not - I didn’t understand it either. And with no further info, good luck…
Joe
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-swat-on-pbs/475080/5 "2008-11-30T23:30:32Z")
I’m sitting there on my butt, watching a program on PBS (Public Broadcast System) and between shows there’s a spot (short commercial) for _The Newshour_, a pretty good news program on that network. This short is a clip of a story that it seems had been on The Newshour at one time. This very short clip shows a guy, likely a reporter because he’s holding a mic (microphone) backing away from someone who’s not completely in the shot, but you can see a hand swat at the reporter. It’s on tv, so it must be real.
> [@](#):
>
> Swat: : to hit with a sharp slapping blow usually with an instrument (as a bat or flyswatter) \