As the saying goes, one is never too old to learn. And so it was that last week my journalist colleagues and I were privileged to attend a seminar at which we learned about new things and were reminded of some old ones.
The seminar entitled “No guts, No glory No Story” was organised by Caxton but was open to journalists and editors of all community newspapers.
The purpose of the seminar was to highlight the role of the press in various aspects affecting the community.
A most inspiring and motivating talk was given by Sports psychologist dr Henning Gericke and the disturbing insight into the extent of rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park by Maj. Gen Johan Jooste (ret) Commanding Officer Special Projects at SAN Parks got everyone thinking.
For many though, the talk given by retired police crime scene investigator Col Anton Crafford really cut to the bone.
Very graphic and explicit photographs recording his experiences and encounters as a policeman were shown and as the programme warned, it was “not for sensitive people.”
The message he brought home was the working relationship that should exist between journalists and the police.
While reiterating the boundaries that each should be aware of and respect at crime scenes, he welcomed the presence of journalists who knew their place and acted within the accepted boundaries pertaining to the job at hand.
For him this was not always the case as earlier in his career he regarded journalists as ‘vultures’ waiting for a scoop.
This attitude changed when he realised that a good working relationship is both vital and beneficial to both parties.
Basically, the public wants to know and it is the job of the journalist to capture and record events in order to pass the story on to the readers.
By recording such events either in print or by photographs the journalist often provides a backup to an incident. Newspaper archives are accessed months, and sometimes years later by policemen, attorneys and the public who require information on certain events.
Photographs taken by journalists at crime scenes and accident scenes are often requested by law firms and insurance companies to substantiate or even refute claims. Such photographs have in certain instances led to the speedy resolution of disputes.
At all crime scenes police forensic experts take numerous photographs, but these are not easily accessed as they form part of the docket, which is not open for public scrutiny.
So the next time you see a journalist either with a pen or a camera in hand and he or she is obeying the accepted norms and standards, have a heart! Don’t chase us away. Were only doing our job, and who knows, maybe you’ll need that photo someday.
