To help or not...?

code20photog

code20photog

Well-known member
First thing I would do, is NOT TELL EVERYONE. I think there's a culture of "I'll scratch your back" between the news and police in some instances, but it's not something that I think we should be broadcasting to the world.

In this case, I think it's being reported simply to say "Look at us, we did something to help. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOK"
 
cyndygreen1

cyndygreen1

Well-known member
Tough call and each one has to be done on an individual basis. He did what he thought was the right thing at the time. I've heard of a cameramen tossing his gear at a reporter on a National Guard rescue flight to help with the rescue when one of the Guardsmen was in danger...and very nearly put down my own camera at an accident to help with CPR on a victim (fortunately an emergency room nurse turned up). Not much to say except this should be an ongoing discussion...and I agree with code20 that it should NOT be part of the station's self-promotion. That moves the conversation into an entirely different realm.
 
S

satpimp

Well-known member
Awful story.

It exposes a pretty meaty discussion point. I agree the baseball talk should stay in the clubhouse.

I would have been predisposed to help. Hope I would have been able to take the longer look in the moment. A familiar place so close to work changes a lot of the dynamics. I wonder how being "helpful" was portrayed by law enforcement. Was there coercion felt or implied? Or was it, I can help you get these rat bastards?

If its a helpful tool shouldn't long lenses be part of their arsenal. If ours are used are we targets? Should we care if we are? If they disguise theirs as ours does Aunt Millie with the handycam become a target? I understand its hard to hide intentions if your long lens is mounted to a long barrel.

Who maintains the video evidence? Is using it for training later problematic. Could it hurt prosecution? Do other outlets get the video before discovery? When it goes public is it propaganda or a Jihadi spark?

Sydney yesterday, Pakistan today, and near daily reminders of extremism, make it hard for me to scold anyone for acting to help in a crisis. I probably would have been hanging sound blankets and sand bags to cover sniper positions or run them their own feeds. Maybe not the right choice, but at least human.

Its still more avocation than vocation. We aren't getting rich in TV.
 
cameragod

cameragod

Well-known member
I made a decision a long time ago that nobody would would die in front of me if I could do something to help, even if that meant putting down the camera.
 
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Paul Anderegg

Member
Back in the late 90's when i was a stringer in Los Angeles, there was a pursuit crash with a stand off on the I-10 east of downtown LA. The suspect refused to get out, and I handed off my binoculars to a CHP officer I was friendly with. As the stand-off approached morning news time, live trucks began to arrive. I suggested to my CHP buddy that we have one of the live trucks park under the suspect (this was on a raised portion of freeway on the right shoulder) and raise the mast up next to his window, and use the mast-cam to look inside. Long story short, mast went up, cops got their visuals, station got the exclusive video, I got better future CHP access and a sure sale to the station with the live truck. Most cops don't have an immediate "need" for the media, but we need them to cooperate with us allowing access and dispensing information.

Helping out the agencies/entities who are protecting our right (in the process of actively doing so) to do what we do, and profit from doing what we do, would seem to be a no brainer. If we as journalists seek to use this ability to assist jack-booted methods that our viewers/audience would not agree with, then we shoot ourselves in the foot. I remember an old Cops episode where the sound guy starts doing CPR on a victim, still wearing his vest, headphones, and boom mic laying next to the man as he pumps his chest. Always thought that was pretty cool.

Paul Anderegg
 
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