They’re Watching

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Louise

Just when you think it is safe to board, out comes SSSS.

Journalists, bloggers, friends don’t forget Big Brother is watching. That’s the message behind the documentary Terms and Conditions May Apply. Focusing on the United States this film examines the impact of the terms and conditions we obligatorily sign every time we access any Internet service.

Looking at the fine print it highlights the windows of interrogation we open ourselves up to every time we tick that little box. Written in a font and caps that make it hard to read we all tick it because really we have no choice. If we want the service or goods we do it, well it’s not like they give us a choice to negotiate any of it.

But by ticking that box we have opened up our once private world to monitoring not only by one service or goods supplier but also to all sorts of overt and covert securities from well, all over the world. However the film also shows how key words you type in to search engines or thoughts you express on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin open you up to all sorts of interrogation.

Now by simply putting ‘United States’ in this blog I may have already opened myself up to further scrutiny – so a big hello to my Northern American friends. Of course, ordinarily this would not seem unusual that was until I chose to transit through the US on my way to Hot Docs.

On landing in Toronto I discovered my suitcase was no longer locked in fact the lock had been broken and on opening the case I discovered a letter from Transportation Security Administration stating it was their right, without my consent to break open my case and inspect my bag. OK, they need to do what they need to do. I kind of get that, until I discovered that in inspecting my bag they had broken possessions of mine.

 

 

Now I come from a country where when you bag is inspected, you are present.

While I find the idea of someone rifling through my possessions without me being present more than a little disconcerting I did not think anything of it until I went to leave Toronto after the conference. It was then, with the thanks of Terms and Conditions May Apply that I started to realise my views on twitter and on this blog may have brought on some unnecessary attention.

It began just after Toronto check in when I found myself being segregated for special security clearance. On my boarding pass was SSSS and according to Wikipedia, this means Secondary Security Screening Selection.

In real terms I was taken through an extensive bag and body search. My boarding pass was also taken from me until this process was over. I have travelled for many years and mostly post-September 11, so ethnic looking woman travelling alone does make me stand out. But this time felt stranger than normal.

It was far too coincidental that my bag is being chosen for random inspections, and then my person is too. On talking to other Australian travelers, who are also on their own this did seem unusual as it did not happen to them.

After seeing Terms and Conditions Apply I became more acutely aware that as a journalist who engages with social media I might just be up for extra scrutiny. Do I exist on some sort of US government list? What about other journalists or bloggers who question a government’s politics or motives? Once we are on, do we ever get off?

Arriving home I found my bag had a busted lock again. Coincidence? Conspiracy? Regardless, it is the reality of the world I/we live in.

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Revealing the Family Skeletons

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Louise

Hotdocs opening film The Manor does more than put a spotlight on family.

We often debate the ethics of journalism, or lack thereof. However as documentary filmmakers we tend not to discuss the ethics of what we are capturing or how we are presenting it.

This week I attended the Hotdocs film festival and conference in Toronto. On my first day I made a point of capturing the opening night film. Called The Manor it is the story of the filmmaker’s dysfunctional Jewish family who run a strip club. Filled with light and dark moments it was bound to entertain the audience.

Of course the colourful characters in and around the strip club brought many light moments, however the dark ones centred on the filmmakers mother. She has been battling an eating disorder since her husband acquired the club over 30 years ago. Now in her senior years her illness has taken a severe toll. On camera, up close and personal you can see it has made her a shell of a woman.

In the Q&A after the screening the filmmaker revealed how surprised he was that his mother opened up so much in front of the camera. Perhaps it was a form of ‘therapy’ of its own? During the film we see him attempt to help his mother by getting her to a clinic. For someone who has taken decades to get this far this really is a high point in the film.

However the relief of seeing her seek help soon turned to an uneasy voyeurism. Not only had he got her there, he stayed. The camera did not stop rolling; it was there for the duration of her first counseling session. Now while l can see how riveting that was, and how it made for great storytelling, I could not feel this was really inappropriate.

Counseling is private; it is a moment to reveal secrets, skeletons and things you may never have spoken about before in your life. This is not a place for a camera. While this was the first ‘introductory’ session it was still revealing.

Prior to this moment the filmmaker revealed how he and his brother’s girlfriend had found laxatives hidden in the home. These belonged to his mother and she was trying her hardest to keep them away from the prying eyes of her family.

During her therapy session she lied to the counselor and said she did not take laxatives. Now all I could think was if the camera was not here, would she be telling the truth? Has our intrusion and need for compelling voyeurism just prevented this woman from getting the help she badly needs?

Wearing my producer hat I am sure we could have still captured the imperative elements here. We already knew she was lying about her illness and the fact she walked out saying she would not go back speaks volumes about her willingness to get better.

Seeing her live after the screening I felt ill, she clearly needs serious help and I’m not sure if the documentary has made it any better.

 

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Following Up

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Louise

 

Dolphins in the wild – our canaries of the ocean.

News is cyclical. We get on the unicycle and ride round and around we go. As journalists we get hold of a story, report it and move on to the next one.

Often we don’t get the chance to revisit a story, follow it up or touch base with those we worked with to make it happen after we’ve gone to print. While some issues don’t go away quickly, trying to get an editor to allow you to follow up on something can be rare, especially if you are writing long form for magazines.

“We’ve covered that” is often the response. “What’s a new angle.”

The fact that perhaps people are still in limbo, environments are still at risk or that awareness is still necessary just don’t cut it.

This week I was on assignment for Fleurieu Living when I met with people who were passionately campaigning against mining exploration off the shores of Kangaroo Island. I covered this story for The Adelaide Review late last year and while it raised awareness around the issue it also highlighted the risks to our marine life.

Blight Petroleum is still looking to undertake exploration in the Kangaroo Islands Pools and there is still not enough knowledge to fully assess their impact. However I got a new perspective this week.

I went out with Dolphin Watch and their volunteers to look at the work they do in collating data on Dolphin’s in the wild around the Island. It is conservation work that contributes worldwide to scientist’s work.

But being out there I got to see why the Islanders are passionate about stopping exploration and eventual mining off their shores. These are amazing mammals that bring absolute wonder to you when you see them up close in the wild.

They are known as the ‘canaries’ of the ocean in that if anything happens to them, it is a sign of bigger problems in the marine environment.

Perhaps there is nothing ‘new’ to this story, but what is true is that it has not gone away and people on the mainland still don’t know what is at risk.

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Reporting Fear

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Louise

Reporting terror also perpetuates it.

It is a journalist’s job to report the news, that’s why they exist. Report what is happening in the world, as it happens. The tag line for so many news services.

But what do you do when that reporting is actually feeding the travesty of the event you are reporting? Confused? Well it is a bit of a dilemma.

Terrorism has been a part of the media, and some lives for over 10 years. By its definition it is the ‘use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.’

As time has gone by that definition should also include, ‘the use of media to continue intimidation.’

When an act of terror occurs like that at this week’s Boston Marathon it is all over the media. While that’s because it is an epic event that must be reported, the fear those reports perpetuates is exactly what terrorists want.

There really is no way around it, we are in a 24/7 news cycle where immediacy and a hunger for first hand images dominates ratings and dollars.

It’s that hunger for first hand images that is also our detriment. By devouring over endless photographs and images we are instilling fear and trauma in ourselves. We are seeing tragedy over and over, wondering what it would be like if we were a part of it.

Yet sometimes that hunger can go too far.

Today in the United States Texan town called West a horrific explosion happened in a fertilizer factory. This video taken by a man who obviously wanted to share it with the world really brought home to me the risk of the voyeurism we have grown so accustomed to.

Be warned it is shocking, but most of all I warn you that hearing his son soon after the blast is what’s more distressing.

 

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Remarking on the Unremarkable

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Louise

QandA’s first ever female panel.

For something special and something ‘different’ ABC’s QandA last week had an all female panel (that’s all except for Tony). Its goal was to discuss the role of feminism today. While the topic is extremely relevant, considering women are always a minority on this program’s panel it was nice to be in the spotlight.

However it is hard to talk about the many facets of feminism when you are all over 40 and educated. I will note it was great to see an indigenous woman on the panel, again something the program has been lacking.

As much as I wanted to watch this episode, I could only dip in, in small amounts. As an out and proud feminist it is must see viewing but I just could not do it.

Sure Germaine is always interesting and Janet’s worth a bit of controversy. But to include a woman on the panel who does not even pay women to write for her own publication is beyond words. It slaps in the face of what feminism is all about.

As it was said many times there are many faces to feminism and hers is one of them.

Other faces are young, old, disabled, black, white, ethnic, educated, uneducated. We come in many shapes and sizes and sadly this opportunity missed the mark. Educated, middle class women of privilege are only one of those faces.

Yet often it is these women who dictate feminism and its agenda. It’s something broadcaster and writer Helen Razer decries on twitter and for that she gave the best tweet of the night.

A tweet that’ll never make it on QandA.

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Would you work for that?

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Louise

There are a lot of ways to make a living and for some freelancing is it. I’ve been a freelancer for almost 20 years in the film business – it’s the norm. However when I started freelancing as a journalist, I realised for some industries it is not.

Australian news media is made up of national and international companies. Their staff is either fulltime or part time workers. Casuals and freelancers fill in the gaps or are there because of a specialisation or op-ed.

However as media outlets shed more and more costs in the ‘digital revolution’ catch up, being a freelancer is becoming more common.

While hiring a freelancer has traditionally been the cheaper option, with more journalists, who are used to a decent wage, entering the market place the definition of what is acceptable pay will change. Forcing suppliers to reassess what they believe to be a decent pay.

As a freelance journalist I have been surprised by the various rates offered for my work. Recently a publication offered $350 for 2500 words. When I looked at how much time I would need and what I was expected to do I was earning just under $10 a hour.

My first thought was, that barely, barely covers my living expenses. And then I thought, would you work for that?

When media outlets pay for commissioned work at a much lower rate than their staff writers not only is it exploitative it is audacious. If you would not expect to work for that money, why would you ask it of someone else?

The MEAA sets filmmaker rates as the industry standard. It is a livable pay often set as a minimum, with producers often negotiating 10-25% on top to create a decent rate. The same union sets a freelance journalist rate at equivalent to 93c per word. This would be on par to the minimum rates they also set for film and television.

The disparity between what the union set and what news outlets pay is staggering. Especially after years of watching how influential the MEAA is at setting the film industry’s rates. With all the work it does for journalists, why don’t their rates get the same consideration?

For news outlets to say there is no money to pay these rates or that the digital business model is still being worked out, does not stick. As I have discussed many a time on this blog there are models that work and can work well.

So the excuses won’t last for long, if you want quality journalism you’ll have to pay for it. Sooner rather than later.

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Avoiding Your Day Job

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Louise

A spill with no contenders.

No one loves a good leadership spill more than a bored press gallery. For some time now I have been convinced that all Labor leadership speculation has come from journalists looking for some excitement.

On any given day politics can go from being boring and dry to exciting and giddy. It really depends on how they’re feeling in the press gallery. Just prior to the end of last year’s parliament, the Australian (minority) government passed or amended 300 pieces of legislation.

Not bad for a minority. But does the average Australian know that? And what were those pieces of legislation that were either amended or created?

We would struggle to name them because those in the press gallery whose job it is to scrutinise and inform us are too busy reporting about leadership spills and speculation thereof. I often wonder if mainstream media stopped asking and speculating whether there would be any ‘spills’ at all?

Just think how many times on Q&A Tony Jones asks the question. It’s like he has not got the answer he wants and will keep asking until he does.

But then again it’s  hard not to ask when you have such a divided party leading the country. What happened yesterday did nothing for their credibility. If anything it will turn voters away as it shows their own party does not have faith in themselves to win the next election.

However when Kevin Rudd came out and said he would not be challenging the leadership he was not just answering to a ballot taking place that afternoon. He was honouring his word which in politics today is more valuable than any policy. Yet most of all he was sending a clear message to mainstream media that there is no point pursuing this, he’s not a contender.

Now we can only see if mainstream media got the message.

Saddest part in all of this was yesterday saw a long overdue apology to those who suffered forced adoptions and it was National Close the Gap Day. But again, who would have known……

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Shaking Up the Status Quo

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Louise

News Ltd response to media reforms.

Right now Senator Stephen Conroy is working hard to push through his media reforms. On a strict timeline of 8 days from introducing the legislation he is pushing forward with some of the biggest changes the media has seen in a long time.

Of course any change to the status quo is bound to cause a bit of uncertainty – or ruckus. Most notably mainstream media are very vocal on the Government’s suggestion that a new, government led body be established to monitor all media.

This recommendation came out of the Finkelstein enquiry and the Convergence Review. Right now we have Press Council and Australian Communications and Media Authority to deal with complaints against the press and broadcasters, so what would a new regulatory body achieve they already don’t?

Well firstly, the Press Council is a self-regulatory body often referred to as a ‘toothless tiger’. Meaning it has the authority to act, but does so in a very passive manner.

Quite often it is argued this is because it is an industry led body and therefore not harsh enough on themselves. However when you look at the rulings of ACMA you could say the same. But the difference here is they are government led and not industry.

I wrote here last year about ACMA ruling on the mis-reporting of a homebirth. But what came out of this, a slap on the wrist and some retraining is hardly punishment for invading a family’s privacy and airing an inaccurate story.

With examples like this it is hard to argue the Press Council is the only toothless tiger in the media landscape.

So if the government is going to bring a new body in to replace this mix, what guarantee do we have it will work any better?

It already has a government body that does no more than a slap on the wrist.

While mainstream media can cry Stalinism, they should take a step back and actually ask what will this model offer the current ones don’t.

When journalism is one of the most under respected professions, anything that makes us more accountable and professional should surely be a good thing.

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When a Free Press Is No Longer Free

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Louise

Says it all.

When pondering the question – what is wrong with our media? We often talk about media ownership, or dying platforms like newspapers. Perhaps it is the egos of journalists or mainstream media being out of touch.

Sure they are all big problems we face, but recently I faced one of our biggest problems the beast we call PR.

Spin is huge and is one of the key reasons why audiences don’t believe what they read, see or hear. It seems every story that is covered in mainstream (and some alternative) media has come from a press release or publicist phone call.

Now if you look through my own back catalogue you will see I too have written stories that came from this source. Sometimes I think it is ok. PR done well gives a heads up on a story we may not have heard about. Personally my favourites come from NGO’s sharing their good work or people in our community who deserve special mention.

A good publicist or PR manager can create access, assist with interviews and supply great photographs.

But once they have done that, it is time to cut ties. After the interview and in the throws of storytelling a journalist needs to step away and give the story a critical eye. Seek balance and clarify the facts. That’s our job.

Then when the publicist calls and asks to see the story before going out the answer is an emphatic – NO.

If we don’t do that we lose our integrity, and frankly, self respect.

Personally I think it is an abuse of journalism when PR agencies ask this. They don’t respect what our role is and are pushing the favour too far. Remember we are doing them a favour.

I believe they are abusing our right as a free press. And when they go to our editor that’s censorship. Sadly that’s all I can say about that.

So sure, take what we say with a pinch of salt but remember the bullshit doesn’t start with us.

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There’s More to Mad March

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Louise

As Adelaide gears up for another intense month of Festival activity I ask at what personal cost.

When Ennio Marricone took to the outdoor stage on opening night of the last Adelaide Festival of the Arts he found he had more than just an accompanying orchestra. Competing with his overtures were the sounds of V8 motorcars testing night racing in the city’s east. While Marricone did not seem to mind, it left Festival Director Paul Grabowsky dismayed.

“At no point during the discussions we had with them did they suggest that there was going to be this event,” Grabowsky told ABC Radio.  “We had released details of our program in October and the details of theirs came out quite a bit later.”

Since March 1960 the Adelaide Festival of Arts had been the prominent event at this time of year, joined by Fringe Festival and eventually Womad and Writer’s Week. By 1999 the SA Motor Sport Board brought the Clipsal 500 in to the city mix and with the Adelaide Cup and Adelaide International Film Festival ‘mad march’ was born.  Of all these events only the Film Festival has moved to accommodate the overwhelming number of events.

With Adelaide audiences spoilt for choice and tourism booming hundreds of thousands of people are now moving in and out of the city’s east end. The Clipsal 500 alone brought another 263,400 patrons last year and contributed another $55.5m to the South Australian economy.

In 2009 the YWCA took an online and street survey of around 400 people to gauge how they felt about their personal safety during this time. The survey found 52% felt unsafe as a result of intoxicated males with 46% experiencing unsafe behaviour during Clipsal 500. Comparatively 49% of respondents said they felt safe during Womadelaide and the Fringe Festival.

SAPOL’s 2012 online data shows the highest number of threatening behaviour, harassment and dangerous acts against a person in the city’s east were recorded in February closely followed by March.

Of all the festival events in the city Clipsal 500 takes up the largest condensed area and has its own jurisdiction for policing. According to SAPOL the types of crimes dealt with inside the venue include: “people behaving in a disorderly manner or negatively impacting on other persons enjoyment of the event.”

Clipsal 500 spokesperson Mike Drewer stresses that Clipsal 500 “have a proud record of having a largely incident free event history.”

When pressed whether attendees contribute to the mix of threatening behaviour experienced at this time of year he insists: “like all responsible members of the community, I share the view that there is no excuse for anti-social behaviour. But sadly given the weekly media reports of drunken and violent behaviour in various areas all year round, what events has to do with it, I am not sure.”

He believes: “the issue of anti-social behaviour is far more complex than to attempt to simply link it to one particular period in the calendar where a number of organised activities are occurring.”

Tony Waters of the Victim Support Service cite 2011 research conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology.  It found young males arrested on a Friday or Saturday night were more likely to have consumed alcohol and peak periods were experienced around special events.

“When you have a very condensed 2-3 week period where you have something on every night you are almost rolling out more Friday and Saturday’s as it were,” he says. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if on some of those nights you have the same kind of behaviour.”

The YWCA took its survey results to both SAPOL and the SA Motor Sport Board with a range of recommendations.

“Neither indicated that they would act on the recommendations,” says YWCA spokesperson Chelsea Lewis.

“YWCA of Adelaide followed up with SAPOL and SA Motor Sport Board seeking information about any actions taken in response to the survey recommendations, but information was not forthcoming.”

They are planning to hold another survey in 2014 to ascertain whether experiences and perceptions of safety have changed over a five-year period.

According to the 2005 ABS Personal Safety Survey women over the last ten years felt increasingly unsafe alone after dark and on public transport. It also found 19% of women compared to 12% of men experienced some form or harassment, including comments about their sex life or unwanted sexual touching.

Often the reaction to these findings is to emphasis keeping safe, however this concerns Yarrow Place Manager Katrina Dee.

“Safety messages sometimes just give a community a sense of, well if we behave in the right way then we can prevent these crimes happening,” she says. “We really need to focus on the perpetrator and their responsibility for what’s occurred and what they need to do to ensure that they don’t behave in that way.”

Clipsal 500 is gearing up for night races in 2014 and whether the Festival of Arts experiences another embarrassing opening night is yet to be seen. But what is clear is there is more to mad March than just a mix of events.

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