On some counts I agree with Tsnake, and there are some good journos around, who are a pleasure to read, and research their stories. The average bad, ambulance chasing, story manipulating prat does make the news industry a bit difficult to fathom. The cruelty they so blithely inflict is also difficult to swallow. For instance, the publishing of names prior to immediate relatives being notified of a death or serious accident, implicating a person in a dangerous or criminal act when in fact the situation was innocent, and so on. Trial by media is still very common. The political bias of some media is all too obvious as well. I happily agree folks are entiltled to formulate their own opinions based on facts at hand. Why then are the facts so manipulated from the truth!?!
A good journo is hard to find. We did have a decent one up here in Darwin for a while, but allegedly through his constant insistance that his stories be printed as they were written and not changed for sensationalist purposes, he was encouraged to leave. He was about the only one who would source good will stories about emergency services as well.
Enter the new journo... well heres a new experience... in the middle of a 000 call this journo rings up every couple of minutes over a minor prang while I am try to assist a family doing CPR on their loved one! After a number of "I dont wish to comment"'s, the journo persisted so I passed that journo onto the police sergent who quite happily tore strips off it!
Notable though probably not provable, was the degeneration in police reporting for some weeks thereafter!
The other thing, is why oh why when you ask them to get out of the way at a scene, do they further insist on getting under your feet. The last thing a patient in a car prang needs is a flash going off in their faces. Then to read later in the paper or see on the news a very different account of events. If theyd only waited until the media unit gave them the correct info, theyd be somewhat less embarrassed.
Although I did like the "seige" up the road from my house the other day.... It kept em all tied up for at least 4-5 hours
