Rules at an incident

KC JONES

As a beginner i can write/research and interview on a one to one basis but I fear being sent to an incident as i am not sure what to do and i do not want the people I freelance for to know I do not .

For example when there is an accident or a fire and you are sent out to the scene, what do you do? I will be more specific, what actual words do you use? How do you find out what is happening? Do you talk to fire dept/garda? can you approach them? if it is a fire can you ask them who is injured\dead? Can you then approach the injured or the house?

If a murder say and you can't go beyond the crime scene line and there is not a garda at the outside? Do you get info locally or from garda press office or do all station have apress person?

Do you have to identify yourself to the emergency services as in producing ID? What happens a freelance who does not have an NUJ card?
i would appreciate feedback, mostly it is what to say and ask.

I am not good with small talk and this is becoming a sort of phobia with me.

Thanks in advance for any help

KC JONES

KC JONES wrote: »

As a beginner i can write/research and interview on a one to one basis but I fear being sent to an incident as i am not sure what to do and i do not want the people I freelance for to know I do not .

For example when there is an accident or a fire and you are sent out to the scene, what do you do? I will be more specific, what actual words do you use? How do you find out what is happening? Do you talk to fire dept/garda? can you approach them? if it is a fire can you ask them who is injured\dead? Can you then approach the injured or the house?

If a murder say and you can't go beyond the crime scene line and there is not a garda at the outside? Do you get info locally or from garda press office or do all station have apress person?

Do you have to identify yourself to the emergency services as in producing ID? What happens a freelance who does not have an NUJ card?
i would appreciate feedback, mostly it is what to say and ask.

I am not good with small talk and this is becoming a sort of phobia with me.

Thanks in advance for any help

If anyone know of any books that cover this please post

santosubito

Hi KC, best of luck with your career.

Now, in answer to your questions: It's a free country, so you can do what you want within the law. Whether you get any answers from the people you approach is a different matter.


Working at a scene is just the same as any other reporting: you hassle anyone around for any information they may have. For example, there is no problem approaching neighbours and asking them what they saw, etc. But, again, they have the right to react in whatever they want. They can talk, or they can call you a c**t and ask you to leave their property. That's all part of the job.

In relation to gardai at scenes, I tend not to even bother talking to them. The ones at the cordon rarely, if ever talk - especially when there are other members about.

Firefighters do sometimes talk, but by the time reporters get there they have gone. In reality it's a Garda scene when we arrive (Obviously, you will be aware that you are not allowed past the Garda cordon at a scene.) Also, gardai do have the power to ask you to leave an area. They can do this under a provision of the public order act. The act is not specific to reporters, but the whole population. I have only heard the threat of arrest being given once, but it is something to be aware of. But I have been at scenes where gardai have ordered reporters to stay away form an area ,even though it is outside the cordon.

I would say you won't really get a chance to approach the house because it is behind the cordon. You can approach when the cordon is lifted, but that could be up to a day.

If it is a murder scene, trust me there will be a cordon and a Garda at the cordon.

You can ring the press office, but they have limited information. You can also try the local station, but that is hit and miss.

To be honest, your best bet is talking to locals and other reporters at the scene. The reporters usually share the basics, like name and age of victims.

So, in essence, get good with small talk and don't worry too much about things.

KC JONES

Thanks for your reply

santosubito wrote: »

. The reporters usually share the basics, like name and age of victims.

. I wasn't sure if the reporters would want to "play their cards close to their chest" as they are in competition with each other. Hence I wasn't sure if I could ask that of them

santosubito

Nah, most of us arr all right.

One more thing: stay away from juveniles at scenes. You should not really be talking to people under age. They will usually approach you, but it is best to avoid them. Firstly, they are kids and secondly, they are unreliable.
I have been in situations where it does seem a kid does have credible or relevant information and I have gone to their parents to as them for permission to talk to them and have done it in their presence.

KC JONES

Very interesting, thank you santosubito;)

BarneyMagee

I have my NUJ id but have never been asked for it. It might be useful if a garda, fireman or a council worker has the road blocked off at a junction and you want to drive on to the scene of an accident but if other press have gone through they should let you pass once you explain who you are. When you approach a garda or fireman at a scene they never ask to see an id.

At the scene the firemen are generally ok as they are only dealing with straight facts. Ask one of them if the third officer is around to fill you in on what happened.

The gardai are more difficult if you don't know them. Technically all questions should be put through the press office but you at the scene would generally know more than them.

Look out for higher ranked gardai. They should know what's going on.
Sergeants have two stripes on their arm.
Inspectors have a single red bar on their shoulder.
Superintendents have the red bar and a red diamond on their shoulder.

Most reporters will share info. As you are print the radio and tv lads should help you out as they will be getting their information out first anyway. If you introduce yourself and explain your new to the job they'll all help out.

You will not get any names of victims at the scenes. Not officially anyway.

Best of luck.

KC JONES

BarneyMagee wrote: »

Ask one of them if the third officer is around to fill you in on what happened.

What does the third officer mean and why him/her. That is what I meant by who to ask for, thank you. Are there any other terms i should know?

BarneyMagee

A third officer is the member of the fire service in charge of a district on all watches.
There should always be one of them at an incident (usually have a white helmet) and they are generally the senior people at the scene.

You won't be able to know everything before you get there. Learning as you go is a big part of it. But just be confident and note as much detail as you can and you'll get there ok. Everyone started out the same way.

Major Deadline

I agree completely with everything Santosubito said, apart from his/her David Simon sign-off!</p>

The web is full of fluff and comment and rubbish, of course, but it's not a news-free zone. You do indeed see reporters working for 'the internet' in courts. Print reporters are increasingly breaking out of a traditional 'mould' and they are required to file copy for online AND for print. It's the future of news, I'm afraid. </p>

It's extra pressure and you've got to be very fast and very accurate (no more accurate than you should be in print, but mistakes travel very fast and can embarrass you greatly when they're online. The great thing about reporting - courts or anything else - online is that you can also correct errors very quickly.</p>

I'd advise any freelance starting out to make themselves damned good at dealing with online and print newsdesks and to be prepared to rewrite the early copy later for print. It's good to be able to add a little bit extra to your story for the print editions - whether it's colour or a little additional detail.</p>

The guards almost never speak to reporters at crime scenes. You will most likely be the 'cannon fodder' reporter despatched by the newsdesk. The crime correspondents will already be on the phone to their contacts. Pay very close attention to what's going on and always log the time when anything happens, such as the arrival of a pathologist or the removal of the body from the scene. The devil's in the detail so make yourself a name for paying attention to it. It's also ok to tell a newsdesk that nothing of note happened, but try to get at least a few small details if you've been sent out. Just describe honestly what you see, even if people won't speak to you.</p>

I totally agree with the comment that you should stay away from minors. Be prepared for abuse, particularly at crime scenes. Be very polite if you have to knock on the door of any family that has been bereaved and DON'T push them. Always apologise for intruding at a difficult time - and mean it. If you drive, always park your car in a manner that makes it very easy to get out of where you are quickly and without panic.

Other tips: keep wellies and a raincoat in your car, memorise or save to your mobile phone the numbers for the local fire station and the fire brigade control unit and the Garda press office. The press office operation has improved an awful lot recently...but it's true they only have the details they've been given by the officer in charge at local level.

Good luck....

KC JONES

Should I carry a notebook/ tape recorder or do people get spooked if they see you recording. i know some have concealed recorders

Major Deadline

Generally, it's not a good idea to use a recorder without asking the permission of the person you wish to record. Nothing spooks someone more than having a mic or a recorder stuck under their nose without you first asking if it's ok.
If the situation is sensitive, or if there are no other reporters already on the scene, it's better not to even take out a notebook or recorder immediately if there are people about regarding you with suspicion!
Assess the situation first then approach people if you need to. Once you've told them who you are and what you're doing, it's quite ok to take out a notebook and scribble away. If you wish to record, ask and be sure to tell the person it's only for your own use when you're writing the story. Always ask for names but respect the wishes of anyone who prefers not to give a name.
You are not permitted to record a conversation over the telephone unless you inform the other party that you are going to do so. In reality, some journalists do record conversations without informing the other person, but it's not good etiquette. Of course, if you're on a call where you've already had an automated message telling you that 'calls may be recorded', then you too are free to record the call.
Press cards are rarely asked for outside of formal press conferences or events where you will know in advance that accreditation is required. But every journalist, I'm sure, has been asked to produce one occasionally where they might not have expected it. Don't flash a press card around unless you're asked for it by a Garda or an official if you're trying to gain access to a press conference etc.

KC JONES

Thanks Major Deadline and everyone for the tips

katiemac

KC

May I ask you if you have ever reported on any story?
The questions you are asking here would make me very reluctant to send you anywhere.
I would suggest you seek work with a local radio station of newspaper and learn the job that way.
A good reputable news desk will not entertain you as you have no experience of hard news reporting.
I don't mean to undermine your enthusiasm for the job but my advice is to study journalism - there are many courses throughout the country.
Try to get experience in a local paper or radio station, offer to work for nothing.
The experience will prove invaluable to you in the long term.
I agree with the comment - always carry wellingtons and a raincoat in your car. You never know where you are going to end up and, most importantly, how long you will be 'doorstepping'.
In my experience of 25 years I've come across female reporters in lovely shoes only to discover they have to trudge across muddied areas or through fields. Or they have to stand around for hours with just a little jacket on them.
The experienced reporters that turn up at a scene always come prepared.
By the way you can use a tape recorder except in courts, councils, Dail and Seanad and Oireachtas committee meetings.
If you are interviewing a person by phone ask them if they mind you recording the interview. It is illegal to record a phone call without the other person's knowledge.
I would also advise you to learn shorthand and to carry a pencil or two as well as pens with you. If it is raining pens tend to dry up very quickly on wet paper.
Best of luck.

santosubito

Major Deadline wrote: »

You are not permitted to record a conversation over the telephone unless you inform the other party that you are going to do so. In reality, some journalists do record conversations without informing the other person, but it's not good etiquette. Of course, if you're on a call where you've already had an automated message telling you that 'calls may be recorded', then you too are free to record the call.

Well, I wonder about that. I would love to know the legislation that makes taping a conversation illegal.

If you look at the law below it seems to say that it is not illegal to tape a conversation if you are involved in it yourself, or have permission of one of those involved:


http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0010/sec0013.html#zza10y1993s13


Now, in relation to my David Simon signature: of course the internet does news. But it comes, largely, from trained and experienced reporters. There IS a lot of blather on the web, but not much hard news from amateurs.