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Former AFL coach calls Today Tonight filming “A lack of trust”

If you ask a TV crew to stop filming you in a public place is it reasonable for them to use the footage they had captured up until that point?

Former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley, who was assaulted with other family members at a nightclub in Bali, has criticised Today Tonight for airing footage of the family in hospital after asking a reporter not to film them.

Laidley was glassed with a beer bottle on Friday night and his son Kane suffered a broken jaw and suspected broken nose during the attack. Other family members including women were also injured.

For the past week a Today Tonight crew has been filming in Bali, on location prior to the arrest of the 14 year old Australian boy becoming a news story.

It was filming a story about the ‘other’ side of Aussie tourist holidays, shooting inside a Bali hospital, with signage on display that indicated Today Tonight was filming.

Today Laidley told 3AW he said, “There was a sign up saying Today Tonight were filming and if you don’t want to be filmed, please tell us.

“Our family said we don’t want to be filmed,” he said.

“The next day one of the reporters sent me a note to say ‘We respected your wishes last night not to be filmed but would you like to talk to us?’ I said ‘Look no, we don’t at the moment.’

“And then lo and behold we see advertised…there was footage from the hospital. I suppose now we need to have a look at that from a legal perspective and talk to some people today. I’m not too sure where it goes.”

Today Tonight may not have show any footage of Laidley at the hospital last night, but it did show his son Cane (pictured) as well as edit in archival footage of Laidley to explain the assault on his family for the first two minutes of its story.

Craig McPherson, Executive Producer of Today Tonight, tells TV Tonight, Seven sought permission from the hospital to film in their wards.

“There were signs up advising patients that TT were working in the area and if anyone had a problem (with the filming) to let staff know,” he said.

“No-one objected. The hospital staff made no mention of any objections by anyone.

“Specifically, when the Laidley family realised TT were working in the area, they asked us to stop and we did.

“We had bits of general vision filmed before that request was made, which is what was used. They specifically asked us not to film Dean Laidley who was getting stitched up. We didn’t. Not one shot of Dean on the night was used in the story.

“Our reporter went to Dean Laidley’s hotel the next day and left a short note asking him for an interview.

“The note, in part, stated that we didn’t film him (Dean) the previous night as requested – but we would appreciate an interview.”

So while Laidley’s request not to film the family was observed from the point he made the request, Today Tonight used what it describes as ‘general vision’ up until then.

Whether Dean Laidley specifically requested not to show any footage of the family, including that which had been filmed before his request, will be one for the family to resolve. As a family under duress in a foreign hospital, it’s probably hard to prioritise those judgements.

“It’s a lack of trust. The sign is there, you tell the people, it’s in writing. The reporter actually signed the letter and then we have to face this sort of stuff,” Laidley told 3AW.

“It’s been difficult enough going through what we’ve gone through as a family, and our greater family now, with in-laws. To have this happen to us now I think is a little bit disrespectful.”

Seven also uses similar signage for Border Security in Australian airports that state if you do not want to be filmed to please advise. Based on this outcome it looks like you will need to specify more than the word ‘Stop.’ You’ll need to say ‘Stop and I do not consent for any vision of me to be filmed or broadcast.’

Can somebody let our tourists know too, please?

19 Responses

  1. @ Camo. Thats pretty short sighted and ignorant. Whilst i agree that Today Tonight is just another trash tabloid show and the journalists which work for them look like they have no ethics, i dot think its that cut and dry. THe journos are most likely directed what to do and how to approach stories by the director or the producer. So your comment is ill informed. Not all journalists are unethical, besides blame the viewers for watching that stuff, because they keep watching it it sends a message to the network that majority of people like that type of journalism, if people didnt watch it these types of shows wouldnt go to air.

  2. Very interesting David, and sad. Can someone please create a comprehensive statement, regarding requiring my explicit consent and pre-approval of the final form of transmission, that I can carry in my pocket should I or any of my extended family be unfortunate enough to fall under the eye of TT or ACA? Even then I guess they will manage to find a way around it. Lucky I’m so not famous and never will be!

  3. I have a great little dog at home and while he is not a menace he will relieve himself on anything if not shown close discipline and a tight lead.
    This is Channel 7 we are talking about the big difference between Buddy(The Dog) and a Tabloid TV film crew is at least you will see him lift his leg.

  4. Today tonight is really disgusting.They have never cared about anyone’s privacy.This is so disrespectful.
    I hope Dean Laidley sues sue the Seven Network

  5. @SamG – with respect, time to refresh your law training. Children are out of bounds for a start. And if the filming or photography is on private property, the property owner has every right to have you stop. If you are photographing for commercial purposes, then you need a model’s release. In any event, all of that is moot, because this case is in an Indonesian hospital, not Australia.

  6. They didn’t say ‘don’t film us and we want you to remove all other footage you have taken so far’ so IMO lesson learnt – next time TT is filing you ask them to remove any and all trace of you from all recordings.

    Also don’t be an alcoholic bogan in other countries around the world, you don’t even end up in a hospital then!!

  7. I always enjoy seeing my fat bum used in a “autralia’s obesity crisis” montage without ever being asked permission to use it…

    But after this family requested not to be filmed and to still have footage used is rather low, but not surprising at all.

  8. I don’t think there’s any legal basis in Australia to stop being filmed or having your face shown without permission based on my knowledge of our privacy laws. Naturally its the polite thing to do to stop filming and not broadcast the footage if the person being filmed doesn’t wish to be.

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