Comfort Level

[<Photdog>]

Could you guys share some situations you were in where you felt uncomfortable at a story because you were alone, and you had to call the desk to ask them to send a reporter over? I guess what I'm trying to say is what kinds of situations require that a reporter be on the scene, and not just a solo photog. There's been some breakers lately here in my town involving young kids and I've been extremely uncomfortable being at these kinds of scenes solo, especially when I was the only photog there because the other stations had not heard about it. How do you guys calm your nerve's down when faced with these kinds of situations?

[SeagateNews]

Always go with your gut. If you feel like something's out-of-whack, or you just feel like you're not safe, don't risk it. Share your concerns with others, including you AE and maybe a reporter who wouldn't mind riding with you if the need arises. Whatever you do, don't enter a situation where you feel unsafe just because "it's your job"...your job is to get home safe, and that overrules anything else that might come up.

[ January 16, 2005, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: Seagate News ]

[Terry E. Toller]

I covered a home invasion once and a man from southeast asia hid in his closet. At one point, he exited the closet and began shooting wildly. The invaders fled but the man shot and killed his son.

I called the station I was shooting for and suggested they send a reporter. They did. It was a mistake!

She is married to a police officer and likes cops. She got to talking to a couple of officers and was telling jokes. She was laughing so loud you could hear her a block away. I couldn't find a place to hide...

I am happy to report that she and her 1950's plastic coated wig are no longer working in TV...

[Curves Ahead]

Tooshay*, Le ***** cat! :P

*(thats in phonetic spelling peeps)

[Curves Ahead]

Apparently my little quote from an old Tom and Jerry cartoon is too insulting to some, hence the ***** icon's. So to clarify for those who don't understand my quote. The ***** is P U S S Y as in a kitty cat!!!!! Not the other definition. :rolleyes:

[<Joey>]

Apparently you have me confused with another Joey. It is a fairly common name, as I'm sure you know...Although I certainly don't blame anyone for attempting to put Mr. Toller in his rightful place.

[<DontShoot>]

I dont need a reporter next to me for me to "feel safe". If there is a gunman out there, then I would not mind if they were there because they would rather shoot a reporter then a photog. Right??

I think one time we were on a dark street shooting a house where some stolen property was found. The people come out of the house as soon as I get there and the crap started hitting the fan. I could barely see them but as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could see them pointing something at me. Thats when I took my camera off the sticks and took off. Dont want to dye for a stupid story.

[<joey>]

I am gay and in high school If you cant tell!!

I will never have a life outside of the internet, and that is because I have sex with my dad

[<hey seagate>]

Coming from a sixteen year old highschool junior, your post is right. Come on, don't you have to be in bed by 9. Leave the advise to people who have sh*t their pants during situations.

[SeagateNews]

&lt;hey seagate&gt;, the advice I gave was derived from what I have learned in other situations, and applied to &lt;Photdog&gt;'s dilema. Sure, I may not have been to any triple murders or fires where the a bunch of children died, but it was still advice, and that's what this person was looking for. Based on the way I feel about these situations, I don't plan on sh*tting my pants anytime soon. So, instead of posting that I'm 16 and I don't know anything, maybe you should write WHY I'm wrong or what YOU would do; that would be the smart action, instead of a baseless insult...that would not only teach me something about such an incident, but you could help our friend &lt;Photdog&gt;, too.

[ January 17, 2005, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: Seagate News ]

[<To the Original Poster>]

If I go to a situation, eg a shooting, then I don't stay longer than the police. They start looking to leave, I am already gone.

This job isn't worth getting hurt over, and the people telling you what to do often don't realize what you face out in the world, and some don't care!

If you catch grief for leaving a scene, or not being in the right place at the right time because of your concerns, be prepared to justify those concerns to your boss. You may also want to consult your state's labor laws to see what kind of legal rights you may have in this regard.

Legal rights and protections aside, it is ultimately up to you to decide what is worth the risk to you, and your coworkers. I have done this on numberous occasions, and I don't mind telling the powers-that-be that "nobody's home," when asked to knock on the door of a pedophile or convicted domestic-assault perp. I woul go to the location, and it was well lit, with lots of people about, then I would go for it. However, if it was dark, growling dogs (or people), then "Phuket", it wasn't worth getting hurt for a VO.

Lots of luck!

[addixicon]

Is it your nervves that make you uncomfortable, or is it that you dont have enough experience to get the story straight on you own. You can cover your bases by asking the basics of Journalism:
Who?, What?, Where?, Why? When? and How?, and in the vein(or vain) of Barbara Walters..."How do you really feel?" These should get you through the basics. Also, Like Seagate said, go with your gut. If you hear something and you are asking yourself a question, ask the interview that same question. My station has some rules about interviewing kids, you should find out what your station policies are for this. If a crime is involved, in order to protect the kids, I will go with a "no faces" approach, just to cover my ass, and theirs, and the station's. Eventually you will need to get in there and ask questions, it gets easier the more often you do it. Also, I am curious, if its a big story, why wouldnt they send a reporter? You can always ask the producers as well, explain the scene and ask "What do you guys want me to get out here? Theres a bunch of kids hanging around, do you want me to get sound with them?

[BluesDaddy]

This isn't so much advice as it is just a personal experience. I was on call on Christmas Day. In between dinner and presents, I got a page. There was a shooting. I got to the road near the scene as the sun was going down. One of the other stations had a photog and reporter there with a live truck. They reported being threatened with arrest if they did not leave the trailer park. (Yes I know, cliche but true.) There was a dead kid and the deputies probably were "kinfolk." The sheriff met us at the end of the road and gave us some sound as night fell. Then, he said he recommended we "not go back up the road" because "those folks back there don't mess around." He then drove back into the trailer park. Did I memtion it was behind the dragstrip? The other crew decided not to go back in to try for more video. I had nothing, so I decided I better press for some shots of the scene. I drove in, met the sheriff on his way out and again he professed no responsibilty for what might happen if I continued in. I located the correct trailer and proceeded to lay down some gnarly 18dB scene video. Mostly yellow tape and unmarked Durangos. The worst I got from the surrounding residences was a few curtains pulled back. The moral of the story? Go for it if you feel like it. Usually nothing bad will happen. I know there are those here who have had some scary run-ins, but I think they are very much the exception to the rule.

[<Photdog>]

Originally posted by addixicon:
Is it your nervves that make you uncomfortable, or is it that you dont have enough experience to get the story straight on you own. You can cover your bases by asking the basics of Journalism:
Who?, What?, Where?, Why? When? and How?, and in the vein(or vain) of Barbara Walters..."How do you really feel?" These should get you through the basics. Also, Like Seagate said, go with your gut. If you hear something and you are asking yourself a question, ask the interview that same question. My station has some rules about interviewing kids, you should find out what your station policies are for this. If a crime is involved, in order to protect the kids, I will go with a "no faces" approach, just to cover my ass, and theirs, and the station's. Eventually you will need to get in there and ask questions, it gets easier the more often you do it. Also, I am curious, if its a big story, why wouldnt they send a reporter? You can always ask the producers as well, explain the scene and ask "What do you guys want me to get out here? Theres a bunch of kids hanging around, do you want me to get sound with them? It was more of my nerves getting the best of me...in this situation, the story was a newsworthy event....a young child was killed by a neighbors dog, and his entire family, relatives and all were out there, just going ballistic to the dog's owner, screaming obsenities and whatnot all while the police were still there. I stayed at a safe distance, trying not to become a target myself...there was not way I was going to walk to the front of the house for closer shots, especially since I was the only photog on scene, no one else. So I shot from across the street. The police acknowleged my presence and told me there would be a lieutenant on scene shortly to give me a soundbite, so I knew I had to stay on scene for awhile. The surrounding neighbors were pretty cool and did not give me any trouble, so I sort of blended in with them, trying to stay out of sight from the victims very large family that was milling about on their front lawn.....so it wasn't that I did not feel safe, just really uncomfortable being alone....if there were other news crews on scene, I probably would have felt a bit more comfortable....so I was just seeking your
guys' personal experience, maybe somewhat related to my experience, and how you guys handled the situation. I mean, when you are with a reporter, you are not as anxious as if you were alone....hope you guys understand what I'm trying to say....

[satop]

In my few years, I have refused to shoot a scene only twice because I didn't feel safe. At my station it is the photographers call and have never gotten any heat about making that call.

[addixicon]

Wow, sorry, I totally missed the point of your post. Sounds like you did the right thing, shooting from a distance. I meann what else are you going to do. You were there, you got the shots, and if the station did not think it was important enough to send a reporter, thats their problem. I have some personal limitations on this type of thing, and one is, if the cops are close by, I feel safe. I dont go into the projects after dark, even with a reporter, unless cops are around, the same goes for weird BFE country crimes, the hicks are worse than the thugs, they've got scopes on their rifles. But quite honestly, if the cops are around, and there is a crazy scene like this, the video sure as hell will be better than a couple of locators and blinking lights. Also, there are some reporters that would make me feel less safe. The kind that get up in people's faces, or further agitate these already aggravated people. You could always get a tazer gun. Good luck.

[Shootblue]

I've seen them used and I am convinced that a taser is damned effective. Not as much as a gun, but they will likely think twice and so will their buddies.

[Terry E. Toller]

I've seen peple pull out the darts and keep going. You only get one shot! 10% pepper would be better...

[<registered forgot the PW>]

Terry,

I assume you have a bullet proof vest that you own and use on occassions do you ever wear it full time when you are working overnights?

[shoot da parrot]

I got caught between the swat team and a standoff once and it was scary as hell. I staged myself behind a tree but it was still very sketchy.