Working that MoJo

As a young broadcaster in the making, I would be lying if I said I had absolutely no interest in the wonderful world of tech. Although it is not a requisite and we’re all more than welcome to stick to ye old sword and shield of the journalism world…One might find that mixing up your MoJo is just that much more interesting.

‘MoJo’ or Mobile Journalism is the new kid on the block that seems to have enough of a sphere of haters and lovers that it is sure not to go away anytime soon. It’s kind of like that preppy new kid that you’re not sure if you like or hate but want to get to know either way. As the spawn of the 21st Century, we are all somewhat literate in using a mobile device to do anything from shoot a clip, record a song, take notes or have a makeshift weapon all in the palm of our hands.

As journalism by nature is a mobile profession – meaning we move around to get the job done – it becomes convenient to have a notepad, camera, recorder and more all in one. We are able to capture all angles from a single angle and in this way find the best, and most interesting way to give an alternative aspect to an age old tradition.

The old noisy newsroom called for a bunch of individuals in hats with waaay too many coffee mugs and cigarette butts to scream and shout what we’d be reading after tomorrows morning press run. The new quiet space lets go of that (and unfortunately some of us), but the convenience of electronic versus traditional brings the opportunity to be just that much more ingenuous and take that thinking further out the box than we have seen before.

Steve Jobs described a computer as a bicycle for the mind, and if learning how to ride a bike is something you never forget, then we journo’s have nothing to fear in terms of where our lil world is going. There have thus far been five revolutions of MoJo – Starting from hard copy, the Gutenberg Press (thanks Germany), Television (does happy dance), The Internet and now Mobile. All the stages, past and present, have enabled equally revolutionary ways for stories to be told. We are no longer restricted to what we can cover on the ground and within certain borders. We are live, at anytime, and at any place.

I’m not sure if my excitement is showing yet, but it is incredibly exciting to think of the literal and metaphorical borders we can cross these days in order to get the job done. At the same time, it is not simply about the job, but also the veritas and gravitas that comes with it.

Again, us new-age babies are more than aware of the power of social networks and how this has changed the face of journalism. For starters, it’s not restricted to the chaps with hats, cigarettes, coffee mugs (and pens), but rather anyone and everyone that is semi-literate to the notion of tweeting, typing, texting and calling.

Citizen journalist: a term I use with a slight apprehension, describes exactly what I mean by anyone and everyone. It’s good in the sense that everything becomes more immediate and highlights issues that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, but it’s also not so great for those of us that actually need the jobs and aren’t as concerned about the pack of stray cats leaving trails of litter behind them in a Roodepoort suburb.

This idea of convergence makes thinking of the future of journalism a slightly scary thought. What happens when one of the most powerful social sights becomes the most efficient and fast source for news distribution? When its not about who has said it, but where and when you heard it, how do we as journalists hold onto our veritas, gravitas and remain relevant? How do we tell the already sceptical reader to approach the news they are finally paying attention to, to do so with a bit of caution?

It is moments like these that make me think back to the days of my youth (Not as old as you think). I think we can all go back to a moment where teams of some kind where being chosen and we each had the fear of being picked last. I will remind you of my height being a staggering 1.53m and then ask you to think how often you think I got picked closer to the start of the games than the end? I am proud to say, that more often than not, I wasn’t last, or even picked towards the end. I can’t say it wasn’t my charm that did the trick, but I can say that it never boiled down to being the biggest and most athletic person around. It was sometimes just about being able to maneuver in the right way that I’d get the ball before my opponent. Sometimes, I was just able to run between legs faster and thus had an advantage over all the tall people. My point is, its not necessarily about having the fanciest camera/movie-maker/recorder around. We sometimes just need to be faster than those better than us, and better than anyone faster than us. In doing this, I think we’re able to hold onto the title of journo just that much longer before this digital world gives it up to everyone for good.

I can’t say I’m unaware of the difficulty that comes with this profession being as mobile as it is, but I can say it somewhat allows it to be just that much more interesting. Everyday is a challenge, but one we signed up for, and if like me you enjoy the challenge then let us continue to shake up our MoJo til the job is done.

Order in the court

Something I, as I’m sure many of you have discovered, about this lil thing we call journalism, are the not so perky jobs we sometimes get put on. Now as a rookie in the profession, I’m always somewhat ecstatic if I don’t get put on coffee duty and get to cover the jobs that others are ‘too qualified’ or too uninterested in doing. One of the news sections that fall under this category is the wonderful world of court reporting.

Now, I can imagine that court reporting doesn’t sound so bad, and that being present at the buildings that uphold the oh-so-delicate fabric of society may even be somewhat exciting…but if we’re being serious about it, no journalist wants to be stuck in a building all day listening to some old guy in a wig pass judgements. We chose this profession because we like to be in the know and on the move, getting the breaking story before anyone else does, and how can we do that if we are practically chained to a bench and sworn to silence because of honorable judge-whats-his name?

Court reporting will forever be one of the old styles of reporting we can never get away from, but in the hope of not giving in to my own cynicism, I will say there are always opportunities to turn even the most snoozable jobs into interesting ones.

A guest lecturer by the name of David Macgregor explained this. He is possibly the South African version of a Chuck Norris court reporter with many an achievement under his belt. Macgregor agreed that yes, it can be boring, but this also leaves opportunity for us to make the story interesting. The court can be something like a game show floor, where there is something waiting behind door number one, two and three, and it is simply up to you to make your pick. Court reporting gives you the opportunity to really be on the job and interact with individuals about things that citizens are dealing with everyday. You are given the opportunity to break the ice and find the right angle for a story that could turn into a national headline.

There is no set way of actually doing this type of reporting, but one thing to bear in mind is that you are still essentially the voice of the people and they are waiting on you to hear what happens within the justice system. Mr Macgregor mentioned that you need to act like you belong there – not behind the stand awaiting a sentencing, but in the court telling the story with as much gravitas and veritas you can think of before deadline. The nature of this profession is one that means we will always be competing with other people, but this also means that there is always a story to be told. This being said, we must strive to put our own creative stamp on an otherwise boring section of news.

Again this idea of interaction comes to mind, as without contacts, we all know you won’t get very far in this reporting business. The more you happen to go to these places and ask around about whats hot on the court roll, the more you’ll be able to build up a network of contacts that might just give you the scoop when you need it most. Even if court reporting isn’t where you want to be, it’s nice to know that it’s a place you can always go to to do a little bit of freelance and polish up those hard news writing skills.

Just remember to read up on the language, processes and procedures of the court, and you’re well on your way to making something out of nothing. Who knows? Perhaps the next time you’re sitting at a trial, someone might just be out of order,and you just might be onto something huge.

Strike while the press is hot

If there’s one thing that we as journo’s know how to do, it’s start a good sandstorm. Seriously. All you need are ingredients not unlike Professor Utoniums concoction for the perfect little girls. One such recipe being labour related issues plus reporters equals sensation.

Strikes are something that most South Africans either know about or participate in when dealing with certain disputes among the working sector. The unfortunate thing about this however is that the reporting of these incidents often gets out of hand. They give meaning to the word sensationalist, and make onlookers wonder if there is any truth to such stories at all and more often than not why there are always so many complaints and disputes in this sector?

The crux of the matter that most people do not understand, or rather are misinformed about, are the purpose of strikes.

Believe it or not, strikes form part of essential human rights. They are encompassed within the South African constitution and allow a form of pluralism that serves both the interests of the employers and employees. A structured antagonism if you will. The primary causes of strikes within South Africa seem to fall under issues of wages. Now, I can imagine you may be wondering why employers simply don’t give a little more in terms of their monetary agreement to their workers, but unfortunately it is never that simple. This conflict between workers and their employers is somewhat necessary in order to keep the dismal balance we maintain within a society such as this. Strikes try to balance the priorities between parties and more often than not highlight different issues that would otherwise be overlooked.

The words Marikana should immediately highlight the very issue we are talking about. A wage dispute turned into something much bigger, and much more shocking and disappointing than we as South Africans would like to acknowledge. It brought up things we thought we had left behind in the past, but that we clearly are still a far way from moving away from. Now, the fact that there was such a big strike is not what we should celebrate, but rather that other issues were able to be brought to light. And this in turn falls back to that perfect recipe idea – where reporters, though sometimes sensationalist, play a major role in alerting the masses of certain things that happen between employers, employee’s and in this case, the police.

There are various types of strikes that each serve a particular purpose. Some of these include offensive economic strikes (the big one about wages and leave which we hear a lot about in South Africa), solidarity strikes, defensive frictional strikes and political stayaways.

The umbrella term for all these could be put as trying to get the employer to comply to a certain agreement since essentially a strike is for workers to shake up and shake off things they are unhappy about. This being said, they will only be legally allowed to do this if they are engaged in a protected strike. This means the workers are indemnified and allowed to ‘toyi-toyi’ to their hearts content. This again highlights issues to the public as the journalists (pot-stirrers) report on them and allow these issues to gain media attention.

After a long history of dancing angry employees, one might begin to wonder why the cause of friction has not yet been identified. This is because there are often a range of factors that contribute to these incidents, including, but not limited to working conditions, communities and other social factors. It is possible for journo’s to report on one, but another, perhaps more pressing issue may come up. It boils down to what is the most appropriate cause for a particular strike and how that is reported on and dealt with.

It is difficult, without a doubt to say that a solution to situations like these will ever be found, or even that the reporting on it will bring more than a feeling of anger, gloom or hopelessness. It is difficult to be a reporter and not in some way a pot-stirrer when it comes to situations like these. But essentially that is our job – to make the masses aware of even the craziest things happening in the various sectors and hoping to one day find a solution to this age old recipe.

 

 

Truth? What truth?

Picture yourself, fresh out of an institution, and ready to do that television journalism thing (whatever that is) in a climate that is abuzz with many social and political stories just waiting for a voice…You take up the ‘gung ho’ journalism persona that Hollywood has so very well clouded your mind with, and off you go into the big bad world with an idea of the kind of news you want to produce. The kind of truth we want the citizens of the world to know about. The grounded and objective point of view that you feel is still a slight bit blinded.

Now, wake up. Because assuming that the television journalism thing is as simple as getting an objective source or creating an objective point of view to make your story is much like thinking the air guitar is a real instrument (no hate, I’ve had my share of amazing rips. But seriously).

Like all things, this idea of objectivity is something that one must really wrap their heads around before attempting to be the mediator to the masses. Now, one thing I found interesting when grappling with this objectivity thing was that although it is most journo’s primal virtuoso, it really doesn’t exist (shocker). This ‘objectivity’ thing is really only a reflection of a particular person’s position in that particular space, and at that particular time. Being objective (like that nice mutual friend) is simply dependent on a particular ideology and discourse which, as most things (the mutual friend turned out to be a creep, stalker or Justin Bieber fan), can change over time.

“Every age has a feeling of rightness.”- This is probably one of the best ways to explain what I’m trying to get at with this notion that an idea of truth, veritas, or objectivity, is simply an inference we make in order to mediate our experiences.

My past experience for example, was one that yet again opened my semi-glazed eyes into the requirements of good reporting. As we are the newsmakers, it is important to ensure that the angle we are reporting from, serves the interests of those concerned. Much like I explained beforehand with municipal reporting, it’s important to seek the correct sources depending on what you are reporting on. Often, the big voices are the first to be quoted in a story dealing with policies, but, the little, or rather unheard  voices are the ones that can really give you an in depth account as to what is happening in and around the places they live.

Going out in the field was both exciting and exhausting as the heat took no prisoners. My partner and I went into KwaNdancama with the idea that filming would be a much simpler process than it turned out to be. From finding exactly where the area was that had the problem we wanted to highlight in our story, to the ever-pressing language barrier – we had our work cut out for us. We did our research beforehand, or so we thought, but all the while the blazing sun reminded me that as a journalist, you really can never be too prepared and that anything (including your story) can change at any moment. We were lucky that we found sources that are both a) representative of the community and, b) willing to speak to two semi-dehydrated amateur journo’s carrying around two big bags of equipment and looking a little lost (to say the least).

The individuals we interviewed gave us more than mere research on policies could. They gave us first hand experience of the kind of objectivity we should be putting out into the news and media realm. They gave us their veritas. From this, we were able to start pieceing together a story we hope will highlight some of the issues they are faced with living in this community. A high point was that it was nice to see the municipality keeping to their word on a project they had initiated to eradicate the bucket toilet system used in some townships in and around Grahamstown. A low point, was the time it took for this to become a reality. But at the same time, this gave us a new angle to focus our story on.

Speaking of angles, this trip into the field taught me a thing or two about shooting:

Number one – It helps to have an idea of what your story is in order to capture sequence shots to go with said story.

Number two – Tripods will not always fit where you want them to.

Number three – Take lots of shots. No, like lots of them. A WHOLE lot.

Number four – Keep the camera still when taking said shots else it would all have been in vain.

Number five – Its okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn along the way and do better next time.

Now, with in mind, I think our second trip to the field will see us more prepared, and with a better idea of how to focus on a story that will bring an individuals truth and objectivity to the helm. In this, I hope what we gather can be used to portray some sort of truth about the society we live in, and that this truth is one that if need be, can be changed for the better.

Meet PSAM – The gravitas for your veritas

As I hurriedly tried to wrap my head around the fact that 24 hours in a day is never enough, I began to think this is more-so for journalists in the never-ending rat race that is meeting deadlines and keeping a semi-decent head on your shoulders.

Third cup of coffee in hand, I allow myself a few moments to catch a breather and think about this idea of journalism being a voice of truth. One may assume that being in the journalistic profession automatically means that a person inclines themselves with processes of verification when sourcing, writing and conversing in the journalistic space. What then, do the people we hold in positions of power use to measure their own veritas and with what form of gravitas can we hold them accountable?

The Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) is one such way we as journo’s can point (yet another) finger at those in positions of power. Established in 1999, and externally funded, PSAM is a young organisation that is packing a lot of punch in the accountability ring. The main aim of PSAM is to improve public service delivery and make known and enforce constitutional rights through social accountability tools. Yes, journalists, that is a direct reference to our role and sometimes personality traits.

PSAM, much like the name suggests is a monitoring, accountability and research mechanism that ensures that government (and other public based institutions) are meeting the obligations they have to the public. These obligations are of course set out in the constitution and not merely random rantings with no depth or grounding, ie, they’re important.

Now, understanding legalese is not something many (myself included) are able to do with ease, but luckily a simplification of which sections deal with what can allow one to see where player a – PSAM, may need to teach player b – government exactly how to play nice with player c – the public.

An important section to note would be Section 40. This section deals with local government which can be divided into three spheres: national, provincial and local. PSAM’s role with these is to ensure that they each function effectively, coherently and have that good amount of transparency. They ensure the veritas of their roles are fully lived out.

Section 195 mentions the values and principles regarding public administration, that is, how government remain truthful to their role to the public. Again, journalists are to rectify any instances of dissonance with regard to this and make sure that there is a good interrelation between all three spheres. Now, issues with municipalities is one way in which PSAM may enforce their accountability role. By ensuring that these members are held accountable for instances where they have failed to deliver, PSAM is the yardstick by which to measure performance. PSAM uses the various other bodies (like municipal councils, MEC’s, auditors, etc) to ensure that all members know their roles and responsibilities and that they can be held responsible if they are not fulfilling them. So perhaps PSAM is not a yardstick, but a yardstick for the institutions yardsticks. The grounding for their truth and roles.

Although this is a simplification, one understands the role of an accountability body in a journalistic context. It’s nice to know that journo’s aren’t the only truth keepers, and that we remain relevant tools for gate-keeping even when bodies like PSAM are established.

I didn’t drop the camera first

2013 brought along a number of changes. Of course, one might assume I’m referring to the oh so popular New Years resolution train which a number of people (myself included) jump on until a destination or disillusionment is reached.

For now however, I’m simply referring to my change in perspective of what television journalism actually entails.

A week or so ago, I found myself both excited and anxious about the Television Bootcamp that numerous hours of vacation work and portfolios had finally brought to life.
The super quick immersion into the world of broadcast was in no way unfulfilling, but rather an unexpected realisation of the amount of work and power this medium has. As I am just over a meter and a half tall, I began to wonder why tripods and cameras are as large as they are, and how to use these instruments in a way that best serves what they capture.

A lecture on municipal reporting brought about questions of how one may go about telling another individuals story.
It requires a number of sources. A lot of sources. In fact, it raised the questions that most journos grapple with. What makes a reliable or objective source? In this profession, it seems to be common sense to gravitate towards individuals that are in ‘official’ type positions… So your ministers, councilors, officials, etcetera. The big voices that we’re so used to hearing. But what about the other voices? The recent Marikana incident and the reporting on this made clear that the ‘official’ sources produced a more biased than objective take on the story. What about the little people? The actual individuals most affected by this tragedy?  I began to realise that the issues one may try to highlight in these instances must be approached carefully, so not to upset the institutions/individuals that are doing something right, but also to upset just enough of them, or us, to make a change. One in particular to voice the issues of those left unquoted.

The nature of municipal reporting is a complex one. One that I think may not yet be fully mastered… Steven Friedman ( a media critic) points out that South African journalists tend to confine their choice of sources to middle class experts and politicians, creating what he calls “a view from the suburbs”. The pretense of everything – from the idea that you’re helping, to not actually seeing the impact of your help – makes one question their role, and expectation. It’s a daunting task. The idea of which I find hard to wrap my head around. Something useful may be to consider who to speak to and about what. Most often, the finger of blame is immediately pointed towards those in the highest tier of power – the government or municipality. But in essence, (and as hard as it is to believe), they are not always to blame. In the Marikana Municipality (in lil ‘ol Grahamstown), the municipality is responsible, but so are the numerous ward councillors and departments set up here. I think the dissonance comes from people approaching the wrong members to try and solve a problem that may not be theirs to deal with. For example, housing: This is implemented by provisional government, pushed by municipal government and must be followed through by ward councillors responsible for particular areas. When this does not happen, or when people lay blame on the wrong individuals/institutions, no problem can be solved. It’s kind of like going to Gucci and expecting an exchange on your Mr Price lookalike.

A useful sight to examine what local government are expected to be responsible for is the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). Perhaps knowing this can help with future sourcing and finger pointing.

But knowledge and camera in tow, I hope the experience will bring forward a less bourgie way of experiencing journalism.  I hope that I am continually challenged to go into areas where comfort zones are crossed to reveal the level of discomfort others are living in.

I didn’t drop the camera first, which may very well be every TV students fear, but if I should happen to, I hope it’s because I have stumbled onto something that challenges my perspective and yours.