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Courting The Media
Adrian Ernest Bayley would have had no idea of the consequences of his actions when he raped and murdered Jill Meagher on the 22nd September 2012. The effect of her loss to her husband and family and friends was catastrophic and the impact on the public was one of shock and incredulity which later was to be displayed in tributes and marches.
Much about the story has been told and Bayley having pleaded guilty to her rape and murder was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 35 year non-parole period. But did we hear the entire story? In essence we did. We heard details of the night she vanished, the investigation, the arrest of Bayley and the recovery of her body.
We heard from her husband and her family. We heard from friends and work colleagues. We heard details of what she wore, what Bayley ate, and details of Jill and Toms lives together. All of this information is relayed to us via our televisions, our radios, newspapers, internet, webcast, blogs and twitter and so on. All of that information is collected, researched and disseminated by journalists and reporters working and filing for media organizations and across various platforms.
What we don’t often understand is that much of that information is often suppressed by the courts or cautioned by media legal’s or often simply an editorial decision is made not to reveal or disclose information that may not add any weight to the story or add confusion to the audience.
Often too, information can be withheld out of respect to the victim, the victim’s family and to protect the audience. We know that Jill Meagher was raped and murdered, but only those who were in the court, including her family, will know the specific aspects of the rape and subsequent death of Jill, and the detail of the agonizing and suffering she endured at the hands of Bayley.
We forget however, the reporters and journalists who also sit in court and listen to all the details of not just Jill Meagher’s case, but many others. Many of them cover courts as a permanent round in metropolitan areas and some are assigned as required. Either way, many are subjected to hearing details of crimes that can never be published, even though in court they become a matter of public record, it is this information that is not shared with the audience but is always carried by the journalist.
Are journalists who listen in court to details of crimes any different to photographers who take pictures or reporters filing from the field on events they cover? In essence the type of work they do is different, but the effects and impacts of what they hear and report are the same. Court reporters are always nicely dressed when they appear in front of camera at some city location. They rarely visit crime scenes. They don’t stand for hours at a scene waiting for family to arrive or a body to leave. They don’t mix with Police at the scene or Vox pop neighbors about what they heard or saw. They often don’t need to attend the office and mix with colleagues unless working in TV when they actually need to cut the story.
Their round can often be a solitary place, maybe a few other court reporters on the round but discussion is often about the story and legal details rather than how one may have been affected by details heard in court. To be honest, most of us don’t think about the effects till after the job is done, moreover we are too focused on performing the task at hand, which is to be expected, it’s what we as media professionals do.
A journalist I was working with had been covering a long and difficult case. On one of the days I had to film her standing outside court, she wanted to fix her hair and makeup. She could not find her lipstick and soon became agitated by its loss from her handbag, which she was insistent had been there. Unable to find it, and curb her frustration, she soon became increasingly agitated, verging on non sensible actions when I was reassuring her that she looked great and did not need her lipstick. Any praise I offered was rejected, usually not from this journalist who often asked for me to film her as she had complete faith in my abilities as a cameraman.
It was very clear that something was not right; her behavior was not the norm, especially when she upended her handbag, contents, all and sundry, falling to the ground in slow motion, no lipstick to be seen, a ranting journalist seen by all, as on hands and knees rummaged through the contents. Together we collected her things and I gently helped her up as she surrended to the loss of the lipstick. Reluctantly she stood in front of my camera and mic and lights poised, delivered her lines like a professional, later that night to text me and say, thank you for your patience today, you never said an unkind word and you made me look beautiful when I felt so horrible.
The fact of the matter was the lipstick had nothing to do with it, it simply was a catalyst in an ever increasing burden on this journalist who was starting to flex under the weight of a work load and some unrealistic demands compounded by 3 years of covering a court round and enduring details of crimes that as public, we will never hear. She had reached breaking point and it was clear that very soon that threshold would come and be crossed and a week later, it did.
Having conducted an interview regarding media involvement in a recent case, she was asked about how it had affected her personally. It was in reaching a response that she realized how fragile she was and once the interview was concluded, she broke down. Peer Support, a system set up by our network to offer non professional, non judgmental colleague to colleague support was enacted. For some, Peer Support is all they need, a listening ear, a reassuring smile, some comfort or even a chat over coffee. Others need professional assistance, and Peer Support can offer a number of suggestions and directions.
Whilst that reporter was clearly in need of help, she is now getting it, and the biggest hurdle and step is to admit that you cannot do it alone. Many journalists and photographers and cameramen and many others are often affected by the consequences of reporting on events that make the daily news in many forms. Those that work alone are far more susceptible to stresses and sometimes a prevailing onslaught of emotion but a need to finish the task can bring them to a point of emotional exhaustion.
Next time you watch a TV report or read an article or listen to a radio broadcast and you think how sad or how distressing or how ghastly, spare a thought for those who covered the story. Try to understand what they saw or heard or witnessed. Think about how they tried to tell the story with compassion and respect. Understand that what the Adrian Ernest Bayleys of this world do hurts not just the victim and the families but those in the media who try, and succeed most of the time, without complaint, to report fairly, honestly and with integrity.
Read More →Courting The Media
Adrian Ernest Bayley would have had no idea of the consequences of his actions when he raped and murdered Jill Meagher on the 22nd September 2012. The effect of her loss to her husband and family and friends was catastrophic and the impact on the public was one of shock and incredulity which later was to be displayed in tributes and marches.
Much about the story has been told and Bayley having pleaded guilty to her rape and murder was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 35 year non-parole period. But did we hear the entire story? In essence we did. We heard details of the night she vanished, the investigation, the arrest of Bayley and the recovery of her body.
We heard from her husband and her family. We heard from friends and work colleagues. We heard details of what she wore, what Bayley ate, and details of Jill and Toms lives together. All of this information is relayed to us via our televisions, our radios, newspapers, internet, webcast, blogs and twitter and so on. All of that information is collected, researched and disseminated by journalists and reporters working and filing for media organizations and across various platforms.
What we don’t often understand is that much of that information is often suppressed by the courts or cautioned by media legal’s or often simply an editorial decision is made not to reveal or disclose information that may not add any weight to the story or add confusion to the audience.
Often too, information can be withheld out of respect to the victim, the victim’s family and to protect the audience. We know that Jill Meagher was raped and murdered, but only those who were in the court, including her family, will know the specific aspects of the rape and subsequent death of Jill, and the detail of the agonizing and suffering she endured at the hands of Bayley.
We forget however, the reporters and journalists who also sit in court and listen to all the details of not just Jill Meagher’s case, but many others. Many of them cover courts as a permanent round in metropolitan areas and some are assigned as required. Either way, many are subjected to hearing details of crimes that can never be published, even though in court they become a matter of public record, it is this information that is not shared with the audience but is always carried by the journalist.
Are journalists who listen in court to details of crimes any different to photographers who take pictures or reporters filing from the field on events they cover? In essence the type of work they do is different, but the effects and impacts of what they hear and report are the same. Court reporters are always nicely dressed when they appear in front of camera at some city location. They rarely visit crime scenes. They don’t stand for hours at a scene waiting for family to arrive or a body to leave. They don’t mix with Police at the scene or Vox pop neighbors about what they heard or saw. They often don’t need to attend the office and mix with colleagues unless working in TV when they actually need to cut the story.
Their round can often be a solitary place, maybe a few other court reporters on the round but discussion is often about the story and legal details rather than how one may have been affected by details heard in court. To be honest, most of us don’t think about the effects till after the job is done, moreover we are too focused on performing the task at hand, which is to be expected, it’s what we as media professionals do.
A journalist I was working with had been covering a long and difficult case. On one of the days I had to film her standing outside court, she wanted to fix her hair and makeup. She could not find her lipstick and soon became agitated by its loss from her handbag, which she was insistent had been there. Unable to find it, and curb her frustration, she soon became increasingly agitated, verging on non sensible actions when I was reassuring her that she looked great and did not need her lipstick. Any praise I offered was rejected, usually not from this journalist who often asked for me to film her as she had complete faith in my abilities as a cameraman.
It was very clear that something was not right; her behavior was not the norm, especially when she upended her handbag, contents, all and sundry, falling to the ground in slow motion, no lipstick to be seen, a ranting journalist seen by all, as on hands and knees rummaged through the contents. Together we collected her things and I gently helped her up as she surrended to the loss of the lipstick. Reluctantly she stood in front of my camera and mic and lights poised, delivered her lines like a professional, later that night to text me and say, thank you for your patience today, you never said an unkind word and you made me look beautiful when I felt so horrible.
The fact of the matter was the lipstick had nothing to do with it, it simply was a catalyst in an ever increasing burden on this journalist who was starting to flex under the weight of a work load and some unrealistic demands compounded by 3 years of covering a court round and enduring details of crimes that as public, we will never hear. She had reached breaking point and it was clear that very soon that threshold would come and be crossed and a week later, it did.
Having conducted an interview regarding media involvement in a recent case, she was asked about how it had affected her personally. It was in reaching a response that she realized how fragile she was and once the interview was concluded, she broke down. Peer Support, a system set up by our network to offer non professional, non judgmental colleague to colleague support was enacted. For some, Peer Support is all they need, a listening ear, a reassuring smile, some comfort or even a chat over coffee. Others need professional assistance, and Peer Support can offer a number of suggestions and directions.
Whilst that reporter was clearly in need of help, she is now getting it, and the biggest hurdle and step is to admit that you cannot do it alone. Many journalists and photographers and cameramen and many others are often affected by the consequences of reporting on events that make the daily news in many forms. Those that work alone are far more susceptible to stresses and sometimes a prevailing onslaught of emotion but a need to finish the task can bring them to a point of emotional exhaustion.
Next time you watch a TV report or read an article or listen to a radio broadcast and you think how sad or how distressing or how ghastly, spare a thought for those who covered the story. Try to understand what they saw or heard or witnessed. Think about how they tried to tell the story with compassion and respect. Understand that what the Adrian Ernest Bayleys of this world do hurts not just the victim and the families but those in the media who try, and succeed most of the time, without complaint, to report fairly, honestly and with integrity.
Read More →Courting The Media
Adrian Ernest Bayley would have had no idea of the consequences of his actions when he raped and murdered Jill Meagher on the 22nd September 2012. The effect of her loss to her husband and family and friends was catastrophic and the impact on the public was one of shock and incredulity which later was to be displayed in tributes and marches.
Much about the story has been told and Bayley having pleaded guilty to her rape and murder was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 35 year non-parole period. But did we hear the entire story? In essence we did. We heard details of the night she vanished, the investigation, the arrest of Bayley and the recovery of her body.
We heard from her husband and her family. We heard from friends and work colleagues. We heard details of what she wore, what Bayley ate, and details of Jill and Toms lives together. All of this information is relayed to us via our televisions, our radios, newspapers, internet, webcast, blogs and twitter and so on. All of that information is collected, researched and disseminated by journalists and reporters working and filing for media organizations and across various platforms.
What we don’t often understand is that much of that information is often suppressed by the courts or cautioned by media legal’s or often simply an editorial decision is made not to reveal or disclose information that may not add any weight to the story or add confusion to the audience.
Often too, information can be withheld out of respect to the victim, the victim’s family and to protect the audience. We know that Jill Meagher was raped and murdered, but only those who were in the court, including her family, will know the specific aspects of the rape and subsequent death of Jill, and the detail of the agonizing and suffering she endured at the hands of Bayley.
We forget however, the reporters and journalists who also sit in court and listen to all the details of not just Jill Meagher’s case, but many others. Many of them cover courts as a permanent round in metropolitan areas and some are assigned as required. Either way, many are subjected to hearing details of crimes that can never be published, even though in court they become a matter of public record, it is this information that is not shared with the audience but is always carried by the journalist.
Are journalists who listen in court to details of crimes any different to photographers who take pictures or reporters filing from the field on events they cover? In essence the type of work they do is different, but the effects and impacts of what they hear and report are the same. Court reporters are always nicely dressed when they appear in front of camera at some city location. They rarely visit crime scenes. They don’t stand for hours at a scene waiting for family to arrive or a body to leave. They don’t mix with Police at the scene or Vox pop neighbors about what they heard or saw. They often don’t need to attend the office and mix with colleagues unless working in TV when they actually need to cut the story.
Their round can often be a solitary place, maybe a few other court reporters on the round but discussion is often about the story and legal details rather than how one may have been affected by details heard in court. To be honest, most of us don’t think about the effects till after the job is done, moreover we are too focused on performing the task at hand, which is to be expected, it’s what we as media professionals do.
A journalist I was working with had been covering a long and difficult case. On one of the days I had to film her standing outside court, she wanted to fix her hair and makeup. She could not find her lipstick and soon became agitated by its loss from her handbag, which she was insistent had been there. Unable to find it, and curb her frustration, she soon became increasingly agitated, verging on non sensible actions when I was reassuring her that she looked great and did not need her lipstick. Any praise I offered was rejected, usually not from this journalist who often asked for me to film her as she had complete faith in my abilities as a cameraman.
It was very clear that something was not right; her behavior was not the norm, especially when she upended her handbag, contents, all and sundry, falling to the ground in slow motion, no lipstick to be seen, a ranting journalist seen by all, as on hands and knees rummaged through the contents. Together we collected her things and I gently helped her up as she surrended to the loss of the lipstick. Reluctantly she stood in front of my camera and mic and lights poised, delivered her lines like a professional, later that night to text me and say, thank you for your patience today, you never said an unkind word and you made me look beautiful when I felt so horrible.
The fact of the matter was the lipstick had nothing to do with it, it simply was a catalyst in an ever increasing burden on this journalist who was starting to flex under the weight of a work load and some unrealistic demands compounded by 3 years of covering a court round and enduring details of crimes that as public, we will never hear. She had reached breaking point and it was clear that very soon that threshold would come and be crossed and a week later, it did.
Having conducted an interview regarding media involvement in a recent case, she was asked about how it had affected her personally. It was in reaching a response that she realized how fragile she was and once the interview was concluded, she broke down. Peer Support, a system set up by our network to offer non professional, non judgmental colleague to colleague support was enacted. For some, Peer Support is all they need, a listening ear, a reassuring smile, some comfort or even a chat over coffee. Others need professional assistance, and Peer Support can offer a number of suggestions and directions.
Whilst that reporter was clearly in need of help, she is now getting it, and the biggest hurdle and step is to admit that you cannot do it alone. Many journalists and photographers and cameramen and many others are often affected by the consequences of reporting on events that make the daily news in many forms. Those that work alone are far more susceptible to stresses and sometimes a prevailing onslaught of emotion but a need to finish the task can bring them to a point of emotional exhaustion.
Next time you watch a TV report or read an article or listen to a radio broadcast and you think how sad or how distressing or how ghastly, spare a thought for those who covered the story. Try to understand what they saw or heard or witnessed. Think about how they tried to tell the story with compassion and respect. Understand that what the Adrian Ernest Bayleys of this world do hurts not just the victim and the families but those in the media who try, and succeed most of the time, without complaint, to report fairly, honestly and with integrity.
Read More →Covering MIT’s “Technique Rush”
Photog Larry Ellis and soundman Arthur Jones of Fox Movietone News covering the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s “Technique Rush” on April 27, 1929. The photo on the left shows Arthur Jones recording natural sound with a rather large Western Electric microphone of the students climbing on the greased hut in […]
Read More →Well-chosen details make stories stronger
One challenge TV reporters face is deciding what details belong in a story. Too many and the story bogs down. Too few and it loses impact. What works in a story is “telling” detail: information that conveys a basic truth about a character or situation. Think about the difference between two stories about the aftermath …
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