Real journalism is rarely good TV

Fiction and reality don’t always align

A journalist rarely knows what to expect.

When asking questions in the community, we never quite know how we are going to be received: Is the person at the door going to slam it in disgust or greet us warmly and thank us for coming?

Spectator photographer Barry Gray had both reactions recently at a seniors home. One person told him in no uncertain terms he wasn’t welcome, but the administrator in charge said “wait, come back” and did a full interview with us.

Any young reporter covering a tragic death (it is usually young reporters who get such assignments) can expect either reaction.

Sometimes we are asked: “How could you show up at a time like this?” But just as often it is: “What took you so long? Please come in.”

The first can ruin our day. But the second is often heartwarming and useful and brings light to so many lives. Putting life in perspective is one of the many things journalists try to do.

People watch actors playing journalists and think slovenly reporters bully their way past security stations in corporate lobbies, intimidate executive assistants to access company presidents and even push past homemakers at the front door of a private home. It’s not true.

We do sometimes get impatient with public officials, and we can be annoying when we can’t access information that should be public, but the rest of it is simply good television and not reflective of reality. The media “scrum,” as a crowd of journalists is often labelled, can seem chaotic and thoughtless when operating in a pack, but they’re not as unruly as those you see in fiction, and we don’t trespass.

When asked to leave, we obey the law and common courtesy. We ask — but do not demand — answers from private citizens or companies (again, public entities are a different matter, or if private entities are involved in public matters), but it is our job to ask questions on behalf of readers. It is our job to find answers for those who cannot.

Finally, we don’t always find the right people to talk to. We check our sources and have pretty good antennae, but sometimes we simply take what we can get.

When credible people contact us with reliable information or valid points or a story worth telling, we appreciate it.

If you have information you think might be useful, please reach out to us.