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Disaster story in the making

Three rolling disasters in one year bring out the best and the worst in TV reporting, while audiences liken blanket coverage to ambulance chasing.

Media coverage of the Christchurch earthquake last week was the third time this year that networks have frantically chased the story of a major disaster.

As a news war continues to be waged between all players (perhaps excepting SBS), it is now the trend to provide rolling coverage of disasters, from breakfast crews on the scene to extended news, current affairs and late night bulletins.

We’ve watched everything from informative reporting to personalities who can seemingly talk underwater, regurgitating facts and emotions while recycled footage pads out actual news.

The traditional role of supplying information and vision is contrasted by what the audience is increasingly likening to ambulance-chasing, all for the sake of the being first, getting an exclusive, and being able to super the words “Developing Story” above a barrage of news tickers and watermarks.

Very occasionally we get the human touch.

John Taylor’s emotional live cross to The 7:30 Report was a reminder of how media are affected by scenes they encounter. How much counselling will networks make available to crews after these events?

But there are others who want the story at any cost, presumably under the gun from hungry news directors. Two Japanese reporters were arrested on Wednesday when they tried to break into Christchurch Hospital to interview earthquake victims.

So it was with some curiosity I watched Thursday’s Today Tonight “World Exclusive” interview with Australian survivor Anne Vos interviewed at Christchurch Hospital.”David Ecclestone is the only reporter to talk to survivors in hospital,” said host Matt White.

Vos, who had previously spoken to Chris Bath on the phone while still trapped under a desk in the rubble, detailed some of her darkest moments.

“This is it,” she recalled. “Something’s going to come (down) on my head.”

Yet the interview was filmed with raw camerawork with poor audio. The noisy background chat in the ward reminded me of visiting hours at a hospital. It was an odd way to stage a television World Exclusive.

TV Tonight asked Seven if Today Tonight had permission to film inside the hospital.

“David had permission from the family…no-one from the hospital objected to TT‘s presence,” a Seven spokesperson said.

While it was clear Vos knew she was being filmed, waving to relatives back home, Seven could not clarify if the hospital had actually given its permission. Only that “nobody objected.”

Today Tonight may have gotten the first words from Vos after her rescue but it was John Taylor’s emotional reaction that was one of the most compelling moments of the coverage from Christchurch.

And you can’t manufacture something like that no matter how many “Exclusives” and watermarks you put on it.

16 Responses

  1. I agree – there was yet another story on 60 Minutes tonight. Give it a break. Yes its tragic but the constant coverage is just over the top, not to mention the way the journos are acting like predators on the crying population of Christchurch

  2. @Allie – I haven’t read ‘Boned’, but I know of the book and made a deliberate decision not to read it. I fear it would needlessly raise my blood pressure.
    Nothing is quite as frustrating as not being able to do anything about bad people who desperately need their comeuppance!
    Anyway you’ve answered my question, so thanks very much.

    Can’t wait to see what David finds for us to bleat about tomorrow!

  3. Yes i too tire of this ‘extensive rolling coverage’

    Just bring us the facts of the day, perhaps footage of the people in charge letting us know how things are progressing but that’s it. I even start avoiding the 6pm NEWS altogether. Knowing half the show will be ‘live reporting from the ground’ it’s too much. I know it’s a horrible tragedy but i do wish to know what else is happening around the world.

    Perhaps i’ll be watching SBS world NEWS next time there is a disaster

  4. @steveany, that would have been very moving footage re the Cathedral. I have been to Christchurch a couple of times and Cathedral Square is iconic, absolutely the central point of the city. I cried when I first saw the destruction of the Cathedral. Absolutely gut wrenching.

    Re your point number two – have you ever read the novel “Boned”, a fictitious novel set in a Sydney news room at Channel 8 (a disguised reference to Channel 9). If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do so, as yes, news directors in the book are portrayed as soulless sociopaths who only care about sensationalism, ratings and awards in that order. Remember, news directors, producers and journalists are not only after TV ratings, they are also angling for Logies consideration and the all-important Walkley Awards for journalism. It really is a cynical, self-serving part of the media industry.

  5. This subject has been well covered on TV Tonight in other threads, so it seems that people are indeed beginning to sicken of this type of ‘journalism’. I agree wholeheartedly with the thoughts of others below, but have two observations.

    1) @Allie is quite right about “disaster porn”, but I must confess that certain varieties do hold attraction. I was near a TV just after the quake and there was live, unedited feed from Cathedral Square. No talking heads, no ticker bar, no packaging. The reporter was shocked and mostly silent and he even went into the Cathedral before it was roped off (though he shouldn’t have). Absolutely gripping, as I have been to Christchurch many times and was stunned to see familiar icons demolished. So properly handled, some ‘softcore disaster porn ‘ works. Avoiding the ‘hardcore’ is the problem.

    2) Is it possible that News Directors are as morally bereft and souless as their “Frontline” parodies? Do they sit there and order reporters to break into hospitals and such? Do they actually think, ” lets get Kochie into a flak jacket and on the scene ASAP before Karl arrives”?
    How are such travesties of human beings created?

  6. Australian news reporting is the reason I am seriously considering Austar. If they could produce a news edition like BBC or Al Jeezera we would all be better off. The ABC tries but their funding is so tight that they cant afford to get the quality of journalism that they used to have. Seven, Nine and Ten are all a disgrace.

  7. I thought they handled the qld diasters well but Christchurch was disgraceful early on when the let nz media cover it was fine but when the anchors especially 7 took over the amount of mistakes in reporting was alarming Chris bath sat commenting the rescue of Anne vos for 5 minutes before realizing it wasn’t and then quickly cutting to break then they would report rumors as if the were facts naming names without knowing is poor form

  8. I just want to say I know one of the NZ channels also interviewed people in hospital. It was tastefully done. As I watched them occasionally when the Australian channels showed them.

    I also hope there is access to counseling or some kind of debriefing for journalists and others when they have to cover traumatic events. If not, then I agree with those calling for such things. Good luck.

    Lastly speaking of Peter Lloyd I saw that he did a report on the earthquake for Lateline. So I hope he’s alright too. As well as all the invisible people including the cameramen. Look after each other if you can.

  9. i still dont know why they send aussie to nz to report the whole day. it would be easier and cheaper to feed into tv3 and tvnz. they are experts on the ground, know the people and city etc.

  10. I call rolling TV coverage of the natural disasters that have befallen Australia and now New Zealand “disaster porn”. Whilst I understand why it is important to show these disasters in their immediacy, there is definitely a voyeuristic, ambulance chasing aspect to it all. The disasters so far this year have been shocking in scale and are a news directors dream but there is something tacky about the fight for “exclusives”, etc.

  11. All I can say is I am happy that we have the extra digital channels. I like to know what is going on but the way the major networks, mainly 7 and 9, are dealing with it makes me feel uncomfortable. I really feel that they enjoy the fact that these disasters happen and the way they exploit victims is disgusting. I only want facts in my reporting, not interested in all the fluff pieces. People must love it though, cause the ratings suggest they do!!! It’s a shame really.

  12. Much of the coverage in Christchurch by Australian commercial media (especially 7 and 9) has been unfortunate, constantly seeking exclusives and trying to get the most dramatic scenes behind their personalities, and exploitative. It has been in stark contrast to the exceptional coverage from TVNZ that has been shown at times on the ABC (it’s a pity that they are no longer crossing to it) which has taken much greater care in telling the stories of Christchurch residents and provided constant info on who to contact for missing persons or to make a donation.

  13. if they had permission from the hospital they wouldve used a profesional camera not a little handycam and they wouldve had better audio. sounds a bit like guerilla shooting to me (shoot and run)

  14. David, damn right the audience is likening all of this to ambulance-chasing. It’s the third time this year I have been sickened by the commercial networks. I don’t go neat TT or ACA – seriously, who with a brain would? – but I saw the promos, I had the blanket coverage fed down my gob by the salivating media, and if I see one more human tragedy covered like it was an awards show red carpet wank, I will seriously throw away my PVR and avoid Australian television forevermore.

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