Thursday, October 12, 2006A Trip To The Principal's Office...
Less than two weeks after restarting my blog and I get an email from the news director.
I really wish they would just ambush me in the morning. I hate having to go the whole night wondering what the hell I did now! I'm trying to be a bit more civilized in my rantings. I really didn't think I had said anything to anger the powers that be. Oy!
So after sweating the entire night, and praying for some spot news that I could get some really good video of so that management would see it and go 'we can't fire him, he kicks ass!', I trek into the ND's office.
He didn't make me close the door, which I have to say, was a HUGE relief. Door closed, you're probably going to get a paddling.
Apparently a local police department read an old post of mine (( Started Out Like This... Ended Up Like That...)) and was upset about some of the things I wrote in there.
This police department is one of the most difficult ones for the media to work with. Now I will give them a little bit of credit here. This city is pretty much the safest area of the Valley. I am NOT knocking the job they do. They have a low crime rate and hardly ever have a fatal accident, and I believe they have only shot one person so far this year. They are a good police department.
They are NOT a media friendly one. Getting information out of them is very similar to trying to get milk out of a cougar. I've been told to go away... I've been told I have to wait till Monday at 9AM to get information (told this on Saturday morning at 2AM)... And they put up just as big, if not bigger perimeters around other activity. Police will tell you it’s for safety, but that’s nonsense. It’s to control content – to control what the media can see and what they can report.
There are times when they talk to us, or get us information right away, but that is the exception and not the norm. My understanding is that their animosity towards the press stems from a FOX 5 story that was very unflattering to them a few years ago. It was before my time, so I don't know.
What I do know is that I think it was a little bunk for them to call and complain to my news director about my expressing my personal opinion about the over all attitude of the police towards the media in this county (North Las Vegas Police does not apply). They don't like us; they don't want us around, unless they need us.
I don't understand why the police hate the press so much. Here's why.
The police and the press are on the SAME SIDE. The police have the responsibility to protect the people. So does the press. Here is where we clash though. The police are tasked with protecting the people from other people. The press is tasked with protecting the people from the government. The police are an arm of the government, so sometimes we have to go against the police in order to inform the people of what their government is doing.
I can pretty much speak for 95% of the press when I say we don't go to police activity with the thought in the back of our heads 'Man, I hope we catch the cops fucking up so we can bring them down!'
You know, we have the same attitude with the police as the police have with the people.
If you don't do anything wrong, you don't have anything to fear.
But you fuck up, and you're damned right the press is going to jump on it. It's a violation of public trust when the police over step their bounds. It would be a violation of the public trust for the press not to report this. The public tasks both of us with the job of protecting them.
Continuing on, I've had cops I know say things like 'We don't like you guys because you make a big deal out of our mistakes. A criminal beats the crap out of someone you don't say much, but a cop does it and its front page news for months.'
Yes, that's true. Want to know why?
Criminals are the lowest pillar of society. People expect criminals to be all around assholes. Cops are the top tier of society. The people give the police extra powers that regular citizens don't have. With the additional power comes additional responsibility and additional scrutiny. The people expect the police to be above beating the shit out of someone. If you aren’t willing to accept this, then turn in your badge (or don’t apply) and get an office job.
I appreciate the work of the police. But in order to get and keep our respect, you have to give us respect as well. You guys can get angry about what I write, but I suspect the only reason you do so is because it's the truth.
Clark County law enforcement, you want an example of how the police and the press are supposed to work together, watch North Las Vegas Police work. When on a scene, they don't bother us or try to control content. They don't treat us like the enemy just because we have cameras. They quickly get us information so we can properly inform the public (you know, if the police don't talk to us, all we have to go on is what that drunk idiot who 'saw everything' has to say...). They treat us with respect, and return they get the utmost respect from us. Keeping with the spirit of a transparent government, North Las Vegas gets an A+. NHP, you also get a good grade, despite my run in with an NHP trooper who was playing parking nazi and apparently has bad depth perception the other night.
The other cities and the county? Not so much.
Can you stop by my office in the morning?
I really wish they would just ambush me in the morning. I hate having to go the whole night wondering what the hell I did now! I'm trying to be a bit more civilized in my rantings. I really didn't think I had said anything to anger the powers that be. Oy!
So after sweating the entire night, and praying for some spot news that I could get some really good video of so that management would see it and go 'we can't fire him, he kicks ass!', I trek into the ND's office.
He didn't make me close the door, which I have to say, was a HUGE relief. Door closed, you're probably going to get a paddling.
Apparently a local police department read an old post of mine (( Started Out Like This... Ended Up Like That...)) and was upset about some of the things I wrote in there.
This police department is one of the most difficult ones for the media to work with. Now I will give them a little bit of credit here. This city is pretty much the safest area of the Valley. I am NOT knocking the job they do. They have a low crime rate and hardly ever have a fatal accident, and I believe they have only shot one person so far this year. They are a good police department.
They are NOT a media friendly one. Getting information out of them is very similar to trying to get milk out of a cougar. I've been told to go away... I've been told I have to wait till Monday at 9AM to get information (told this on Saturday morning at 2AM)... And they put up just as big, if not bigger perimeters around other activity. Police will tell you it’s for safety, but that’s nonsense. It’s to control content – to control what the media can see and what they can report.
There are times when they talk to us, or get us information right away, but that is the exception and not the norm. My understanding is that their animosity towards the press stems from a FOX 5 story that was very unflattering to them a few years ago. It was before my time, so I don't know.
What I do know is that I think it was a little bunk for them to call and complain to my news director about my expressing my personal opinion about the over all attitude of the police towards the media in this county (North Las Vegas Police does not apply). They don't like us; they don't want us around, unless they need us.
I don't understand why the police hate the press so much. Here's why.
The police and the press are on the SAME SIDE. The police have the responsibility to protect the people. So does the press. Here is where we clash though. The police are tasked with protecting the people from other people. The press is tasked with protecting the people from the government. The police are an arm of the government, so sometimes we have to go against the police in order to inform the people of what their government is doing.
I can pretty much speak for 95% of the press when I say we don't go to police activity with the thought in the back of our heads 'Man, I hope we catch the cops fucking up so we can bring them down!'
You know, we have the same attitude with the police as the police have with the people.
If you don't do anything wrong, you don't have anything to fear.
But you fuck up, and you're damned right the press is going to jump on it. It's a violation of public trust when the police over step their bounds. It would be a violation of the public trust for the press not to report this. The public tasks both of us with the job of protecting them.
Continuing on, I've had cops I know say things like 'We don't like you guys because you make a big deal out of our mistakes. A criminal beats the crap out of someone you don't say much, but a cop does it and its front page news for months.'
Yes, that's true. Want to know why?
Criminals are the lowest pillar of society. People expect criminals to be all around assholes. Cops are the top tier of society. The people give the police extra powers that regular citizens don't have. With the additional power comes additional responsibility and additional scrutiny. The people expect the police to be above beating the shit out of someone. If you aren’t willing to accept this, then turn in your badge (or don’t apply) and get an office job.
I appreciate the work of the police. But in order to get and keep our respect, you have to give us respect as well. You guys can get angry about what I write, but I suspect the only reason you do so is because it's the truth.
Clark County law enforcement, you want an example of how the police and the press are supposed to work together, watch North Las Vegas Police work. When on a scene, they don't bother us or try to control content. They don't treat us like the enemy just because we have cameras. They quickly get us information so we can properly inform the public (you know, if the police don't talk to us, all we have to go on is what that drunk idiot who 'saw everything' has to say...). They treat us with respect, and return they get the utmost respect from us. Keeping with the spirit of a transparent government, North Las Vegas gets an A+. NHP, you also get a good grade, despite my run in with an NHP trooper who was playing parking nazi and apparently has bad depth perception the other night.
The other cities and the county? Not so much.
posted by ewink at 3:05 PM
ewink's FUNKDAFIED Ranma 1/2 Site
8 Comments:
What an absolutely stellar observation and narrative on why the press reports on police f-ups like we do.
Excellent!
But what was the outcome of the meeting with your ND?
Weaver
www.TVPhotogBlog.com
Nice work and all the good comments of support for your work and your blog from your fellow professionals.
Outstanding presentation of our side of the "fight".
You wrote: "They quickly get us information so we can properly inform the public...". There's an even better reason to give us info about the situation quickly...IT'LL GET US OUT OF YOUR HAIR!!! If we don't get information that we NEED to do our jobs, we're going to be hanging around longer, bugging you guys more than if you just tell us the pertinent information.
ewink, I'm going to have to bookmark this post. Excellently written.
FTOJRLST: The meeting was very informal and it was more informative, i.e. 'Hey, a certain area police department is angry with you...' than it was disciplinary. I tell you what, if all news directors were as understanding and patient as mine is, well, news would be a lot more enjoyable to work in! Considering he should have canned my ass after my first temper tantrum!
Seriously, I'm glad I have Ron as a boss.
BP: Thanks paw!
photogguy: Back in Springfield, one of the lieutenants with the sheriff's office made the following declaration to his deputies on third shift:
"The sooner you give them what they want, the sooner the fuckers will leave."
I loved that man.
An interesting story, but either earlier this year or late last year there was a homicide at Harrah's on the Strip. It happened at around midnight and close to the 5AM shows not a single police officer came forward to give us any information. So we (all the media) went on air with the information that we had gathered from witnesses and used some scanner traffic (reported as unconfirmed reports). After the hit, the homicide guys came out and ordered everyone into a room.
((Full disclosure, I had already left the scene, so I got this third hand...))
Once in the room they scolded the media for putting wrong information on the air. I don't understand why they withhold some mundane details from us. They could tell us whatever they wanted, as we usually report what they tell us with little or no questioning...
Can you believe this? I actually had a metro sgt., just last night tell me cops hate giving media any information because when they do the media just changes all the facts and just makes up their own version to boost ratings. Unfuckinbelieveable!!!!
NO OPINION
CBS is now requiring that all personal blogs written by employees must be approved by one of two news managers. Linda Mason, CBS News Senior Vice President of Standards and Special Projects, puts it pretty bluntly: "We can't have people having personal blogs venting their opinions."
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/10/10/publiceye/printable2077235.shtml
goddamn where's your email addr? it's not freaking listed on your own darn blog. how retarded is that.
I can see potential concerns about the faces and voices of a news organization posting on personal blogs. As for the photogs, editors, producers and such they deserve a court summons for putting their hands in your pants over a blog.
If you were posting information about the station's business, that's another matter.
When they hired you I'm sure they did not require you to agree not to post on a blog.
If they bother you about your blog or try to intimidate you, sue their asses. You will be able to retire early in style with the jury verdict payout.
As for the cops involved, they too can be sued for interfering with your employment. They have absolutely no business whining to your employer about your blog. If you’re in anyway damaged as a result of these dopes, I'd go after them big time!
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