Lawson recalls time behind the camera
Peter Lawson has become an emblem for TV news in Gippsland, usually seen on the frontlines of breaking stories with a bulky ENG camera strapped to his shoulder.
At 58-years-old, Peter has spent more than half of his life in the industry, and 25 years as a camera operator at WIN News Gippsland.
In May, WIN Network announced a merger with Channel Nine which meant widespread job cuts across Victoria and Queensland.
Nine’s regional news broadcast was terminated, meaning the loss of three journalist positions and three camera operators at their Gippsland headquarters.
WIN News is now running a statewide bulletin, with two stories produced locally each night. Instead of four journalists and three camera operators employed in Gippsland, there is now one journalist and a camera operator.
Peter was made redundant and stopped working for the regional news broadcaster last month.
“It’s been a really interesting ride, you pretty much get to have an armchair seat of history unfolding in front of you, it’s sort of special., he recalls.
“And over 30 years you get to meet some amazing people who are telling some amazing stories,” Mr Lawson said.
It’s not the only redundancy Peter has faced, 25 years ago he lost his job after Southern
Cross axed the region’s television jobs. It was then he signed up with WIN.
“When a company has to make cutbacks on something they’re going to cut back their most expensive thing, and it’s unfortunate that news gets cut back.
“I think all media has seen that, radio has seen that, press has seen that.
Back then, television advertising revenue was more lucrative. Each company had large studios, produced their own morning shows, and broadcast local sporting events on the weekend.
Peter said five journalists and three camera crews were employed in the company’s heyday, which was a stark contrast to the now one journalist.
“The people that are working, the boots that are out on the ground are working hard to do what they can with limited resources,” Peter said.
Over the years Peter has covered many natural disasters.
The Black Saturday bushfires were particularly tough stories to film, but Peter said it was important to capture the resilience and the good deeds of the community.
“There was a vet that we had done a lot of stories with and he was just working his heart out, hours and hours out of his own pocket in the hospital treating koalas.
“The community all banding together to help each other when they’re in need, that’s what it’s all about, that’s the real story there,” Peter said.