Understanding Journalism- Assignment One- Contact Book Reflection Billy Friend

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1 Understanding Journalism- Assignment One- Contact Book Reflection Billy Friend You will always find a good journalist is inseparable from his or her sources, as the two go hand in hand. Sources are absolutely vital for writing news stories, as without them, journalists would have to speculate which directly compromises a journalist s duty; to provide news that lacks pretence and is full of unbiased, heavily researched facts. The type or quality of a particular source is absolutely vital for the construction of a news story, as providing the reader with a quote or message from a reliable figure such as a Prime Minister s P.A or a local Mayor heightens the sense of validity and thus interest in the journalist s piece of writing. Reliable sources are generally found from people in positions of authority and experience. However, it would be wrong of the journalist to assume that a person s position or status automatically assures their reliability, as it may not. These are judgements for each journalist to make, (ABC style book for journalists) and are extremely important as a compromised or unreliable source within a news article renders it as unsuccessful in a pure journalism sense. Utilising an unidentified source has potentially extreme complications and can lead to a journalist being forced to defend charges of contempt. By the same token, divulging a source s identity can also have harmful consequences, as Stephen Lamble s News as it Happens states that sources who's identity have been revealed by journalists have been murdered. Others have lost jobs, families and their health.

2 It is also important to consider the type of relationship that should be established between the journalist and their source. This relationship should be maintained at a strictly professional level, as personal affinity or bias to a source compromises the reasons behind the news story as well as the source. Some sources will also try to exploit the journalist in order to sway public perception in a fashion that benefits them. It is essential for a journalist to verify the information that is provided by the source, as assuming what they are saying is factually correct can lead to incorrect information within a news story. Furthermore, becoming close to a particular source is dangerous for a journalist because if the source s reputation is tarnished, then the journalists may follow suit. Armadale is an inner suburb located 7 km south east of Melbourne's CBD. Retail trade is a prominent industry in the area as well as health care and property management services. The local newspaper is the Stonnington Leader which is run by News Corp Australia and the City of Stonnington is the local council. I tried to cover all bases with my contact book, meaning I wanted to cover a diverse range of shops, businesses and institutions. A news story is often unpredictable and can arise from unexpected circumstances, thus I felt it important to acquire the contact details of the owner of the local fruit shop in addition to key figures such as the mayor or a senior constable as both have potential to be sources for a news story. During my time venturing out to Armadale to collect these contacts, I found that most people were very accomodating and happy to help. I observed that

3 organisations and businesses with secretaries were the most helpful and local businesses such as food shops were also easy as the owners were known to staff and the staff would divulge their names and details comfortably as they knew their boss on a personal level. However, chain businesses such as Brumby s and TAB were more difficult as the staff said that they did not have the authority to give out any names of store manages etc., so I only obtained the phone number and address for the particular stores and wasn t able to find any details of specific influential people of the businesses. I did manage to acquire the store manager of the local Coles details from the customer service attendant, but I had to stress to her that it was purely for an assignment for uni as she normally doesn t give out names. I aimed at targeting qualified and official sources, such as Senior Constable Phil Cooper, Mayor Claude Ullin and Westpac Bank Manager Neale Brideson. Specific media sources such as the coordinator of communications and media for the Stonnington Council will be useful reference points for asking about potential stories within the area. Such a source should enable me access to other sources that I could potentially interview or gather information off of in the future. I endeavoured to represent the main industries within the area, thus I collected several health services such as physio, chiro, dentists, doctors, optometrists and pharmacies. Collecting the contact of a large institution such as age care village Menzies Malvern may prove useful, as the village manager Alison Warner has access to all of the residents, staff and general goings on of the facility. There is also a real estate presence in the area, so the head of property management at a

4 business such as Jellis Craig as well as the sales manager at Masterpiece by Simmonds will be useful for inquiring about any potential news on the property management front. I was surprised to see four antique shops within six shops of each other whilst I was walking down High street, so I have collected the respective owners names and phone numbers of the stores as there is clearly a demand and interest for antiques in Armadale, which increases the value of these contacts in terms of potential news stories. I felt it important to collect contacts from all of the banks in the area due to their regular involvement in the news, as well as the local post office, newsagents, retail fashion stores, travel agents, the local church, schools, accountants and advisers. My experience of walking around the Armadale area reinforced to me the importance of social skills, as the way you begin a conversation is crucial in the quest to engage someone, and when they are engaged in what you are saying, they are far more likely to help you. Persistence is also important in acquiring reliable sources, as I learnt that you won t always be given a contact at first attempt. I have learnt the importance of chasing up people for a particular contact in a friendly yet professional manner, as it might take several phone calls, s or personal visits until you finally obtain a desired contact. Staying dedicated to the cause of establishing reliable and trustworthy sources is vital for a journalist. The internet is obviously a great place to collect contacts, but sometimes a journalist is required to be proactive in order to gain access to the best possible sources for a particular news story. Furthermore, I have reflected that digging that little bit harder for a person of higher status or importance is a worthy cause as it enhances the likelihood of the source being reliable. For example, a store manager is a more

5 valuable contact than a store assistant. In saying this, the store manager may not be as accessible as the store assistant, so this is why I have arrived at the viewpoint of persistence being essential for a journalist s endeavours to collate contacts. Completing this assignment has allowed me to gain a more comprehensive perception of the importance of sources for journalists. When using sources for my own news stories in the future, I will attempt to utilise reliable sources that are of importance or official standing and I will always validate what they are saying through my own research.