What happens when a journalist files a story that the left don’t like
READERS often ask me: why do many journalists cave in to groupthink on controversial topics such as global warming or immigration? Or, say, African crime gangs?
To answer, let me explain what was done to Brianna Travers this week. Travers has been a journalist for only three years and has done very well.
She is a producer on 3AW and a reporter for Melbourne’s Herald Sun and has already been nominated for a journalism award.
Last Sunday she was asked by the paper to talk to the mother of Laa Chol, a 19-yearold girl tragically killed in a brawl between African youths.
This is a tough job, but many grieving families welcome the chance to give reporters a public tribute to the life they’ve lost. For readers, it puts a face to a tragedy they may otherwise struggle to understand or empathise with.
So Travers, with her press pass hung around her neck, knocked on the Pakenham door of Laa Chol’s mother, Ojwanga Abalo.
Travers introduced herself, said she was a journalist and explained why she and her photographer were there. As she was invited in, she said, and I know this for a fact: “Are you sure? We don’t want to intrude.”
Inside were maybe 30 people and as Travers was introduced to some she repeated who she was, where she was from and why she was there.
One was a cousin of the dead woman who spoke perfect English. Travers interviewed her and openly typed her answers into her smart phone, of the kind that can also record.
In the kitchen she found Abalo with other mourners and again explained who she was.
She was invited to sit down with them and was given food and water.
Travers told me she and Abalo spoke in English. Abalo has a strong accent, so Travers repeated back her answers to make sure she’d written them down correctly.
Abalo told how much she missed her daughter, who had been so happy and lovely.
Travers then asked if the photographer could take Abalo’s picture, but that was too much for her, so Travers thanked her and left.
No one asked her to go at any time. The idea that these two white women would refuse to leave a house full of emotional Sudanese mourners is preposterous.
What’s more, Travers told me she was so overwhelmed by the grief she saw that she cried when she got home.
But that’s not been the end of her stress.
Since the Herald Sun published her interviews, Travers has been vilified not just by activists but other journalists who apparently don’t want any mention of African crime in the press.
Nyadol Nyuon, a Sudanese refugee who is now a lawyer with Arnold Bloch Leibler, claimed in many tweets that Travers never talked to the mother and was told to leave. Travers was made to seem a media bully, picking on the Sudanese.
Nyuon did later concede Travers had indeed talked to Abalo, but then claimed she’d only done so through an interpreter. Travers tells me that is not true.
Then journalists piled on, using Nyuon’s untrue hearsay to punish Travers and the Herald Sun, which has reported frankly on Melbourne’s African crime problem.
And here is how media groupthink is enforced.
Michael Gawenda is a former editor of the left-wing Age and was inaugural director of Melbourne University’s Centre for Advanced Journalism. God help journalism.
Gawenda falsely suggested in tweets that Travers “manipulated” the mourners into commenting. He falsely claimed the mourners “could not even speak English” and “clearly asked the journalist to leave”.
He falsely claimed Travers used an interpreter and falsely implied Travers made up her direct quotes. There was no way Gawenda could know any of this. He just made wild assumptions to smear a young journalist.
Alas, it didn’t stop there. Age journalist Benjamin Millar and Ajak Deng Chiengkou, who presents a Dinka-language program on the taxpayer-funded SBS, also falsely claimed the interview hadn’t happened and Travers was told to leave.
Now consider. How would this young reporter – just three years in the business – feel after that pack attack?
She is upset and told me she was amazed to discover experienced journalists not telling the truth.
But I told her: you’re young. You should see what I’ve seen them do.
So given what’s happened to Brianna Travers, do you still wonder why many journalists figure it’s safer to go with the flow than to tell you the truth?
SHE (JOURNALIST BRIANNA TRAVERS) IS UPSET AND TOLD ME SHE WAS AMAZED TO DISCOVER EXPERIENCED JOURNALISTS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH
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