I am going to be honest and say I was not happy at all with my work this week as I felt that I had a good story, but was restricted by the lack of interviews and balance for my story.
Over the week I knew I wanted to do a story, which would centre around the closure of the November 30th November 30th National Strike. I came into the news meeting on Monday looking at the story and feeling that I wanted to get the two side of the story across with the side of the trade unions and why they are striking and also the defence of the council, who feel that it is unfair for local residents who could potentially be affected by these strikes.
I was able to secure an interview again with Tim Cutter rom Unison Hampshire, but was having problem trying to obtain an interview with Councillor Ken Thornber, leader of Hampshire County Council as their press office said the council would not comment on the matter until the result had been released. I decided to try and e-mail every member of the County Council cabinet in order to get a response and hoped that Tuesday would be a better day.
How I was completely wrong, Tuesday was a nightmare to say the least as I came into the newsroom to try and find a different contact to obtain a interview with to balance the story, I received a phone call from a private number (Everyone has that fear when a private number comes up). I answered my mobile and it was a press office at Hampshire County Council who immediately started to have a massive go at me for trying to contact the councillors directly because they had already sent the council's response.
But, as a journalist it is my job to try and get the news across, so I tried every resource I had in my arsenal to try and obtain a interview. After consulting with Becky and Brian Thornton, I decided to construct a polite, but heavily worded e-mail to the press officer explaining that in a previous trip to the council's offices in my first year, we met Councillor Thornber who advised that if we ever needed help or advise on a story to contact him. After sending the e-mail I got in contact with Winchester City Council who said I would be able to interview their council leader, George Beckett later on that afternoon.
I went off to conduct my interview with Tim Cutter, which I felt was better than the last one as I was able to get the quote I wanted with him having a go at the local councils and the government and explaining how it was "the final kick in the teeth for the unions." After returning from the interview, I found a e-mail from the press officer and in one second I had a massive grin on my face as she had apologised and tried to defend her actions about what she said in our previous conversation. This was the one battle I did win this week and the final score was Louis O'Brien 2:Press Office 1
However, I had to find an alternative interview, because Lee had also obtained an interview with Councillor Beckett and this made more sense as his story on the bin collection problems was a problem centred to The City Council and my story was centred to the County Council. At the last minute when I thought my story was near enough spiked, I received a phone call from Councillor Thornber, but he only had the time to talk for a telephone interview and therefore I had to go with my last resort and use a statement to summarise his views.
Wednesday I was able to obtain the rest of my GV's in the morning and edit them into the piece I had started on Tuesday night, but I still had to do my piece to camera and thanks to Tom he helped me produce what I felt was my best PTC to date as my eyes were not distracted and were centred down the camera and made me not look shifty, but confident.
I edited the final piece together and knew that even with the statement (which is not a banned feature in our story unless in a emergency) there was a lack of balance to the story. Becky watched the story and agreed that their was no balance from the council's and therefore I had my first story spiked at WINOL.
It was not the best feeling in the world, but I completely understand that the story did lack balance and that in all without the second interview from Hampshire County Council the story was weak, but what I will take out of this week is that I feel I have become more comfortable in front of the camera and I will do everything it takes to try and get a story across and this is one of the key elements of a journalist to take risk in order to make a story work.
Hopefully next week I will come back fighting with a better story, but this week was a personal victory against the press office and all over press office's beware, I will not take no for an answer or take kindly to any rudeness as It will end in a kindly worded e-mail!
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