Wed, Oct 27, 2004 page2

• Academics call for clearer guidelines for reporters

  • By Cody Yiu / STAFF REPORTER
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  It's a choice that a news reporter in the field, under deadline pressure, can suddenly and unexpectedly encounter: Should I risk my life to get a story or TV footage? Or should I play it safe, but face disappointment -- and reprimands -- from bosses back in the newsroom?

  On Monday, Taiwan Television (TTV) reporter Alex Ping (平宗正) made the wrong decision -- and it cost him his life. Ping drowned in a surge of floodwater from the Keelung River while covering the impact of Typhoon Nock-Ten. His decision was complicated by the bulky and expensive camera equipment he carried. Some think that had he dropped the equipment, he might have lived.

  In light of Monday's tragedy, academics yesterday urged the heads of media organizations to set up clear orders and guidelines that reporters in the field can follow if they find themselves in a life-threatening situations.

  "In regard to this incident, many people think that it was a misjudgment on Ping's part -- he insisted on holding on to his million-dollar camera equipment moments before his death," said Ma Li-chun (馬立君), a lecturer at Nanhua University's Department of Communication Management. "My question is, what was the reasoning behind this decision? Why would Ping put the equipment above his life? It might very well be that Ping knew he would have to pay for the expensive equipment if he decided to drop the equipment to get himself out of the situation, but he could not afford to; therefore, he'd rather put his life on the line."

  Ma was Ping's instructor when he attended Nanhua University before being a news reporter. Ma, a former television news reporter, pointed out two consequences often faced by news reporters who fail to complete their job due to extreme situations.

  "If a reporter misses out on a story because he tries to save his life, he may have to face the music by being reprimanded or being demoted by supervisors for not getting the story. Secondly, a reporter will have to pay for any damage of the equipment. Basically, a reporter is being punished for making his life a priority," said Ma.

  Ma called for strict guidelines for news reporters, in which they will not be penalized for missing a story or have to pay for damaged or lost equipment when facing life-threatening danger on the job. Another academic called for a self-examination by media professionals.

  "The overall competitiveness of the media forces reporters to cover stories in very dangerous areas or circumstances," said Kuang Chung-hsiang (管中祥), an assistant professor in the department of radio, television and film of Shih Hsin University. "For instance, whenever a typhoon hits, reporters have to walk in strong winds in front of the camera. To put it frankly, these windy images do not tell the audience much other than pointing out the windiness."

  Kuang considers "braving-the-storm" images, which risk reporters' lives, a way to spice up a news story but unnecessary in many cases.

  "The quality of news reporting and the amount of risk a reporter has to take in order to present a story are not positively correlated," the Campaign for Media Reform, of which Kuang is a member, pointed out in a public statement following Ping's death. Ma echoed that view.

  "News reporters are not acrobats who have to perform stunts in order to please the audience," Ma said.

  Another common view shared by academics was that such an incident should not be used to score political points.

  "A legislator said today that Premier Yu Shyi-kun should take moral responsibility for Ping's death," said Lu Shih-hsiang (盧世祥), Chief Executive Officer of Foundation for the Advancement Development Fund. "Personally, I think this argument is too far-fetched. The central issues surrounding this tragedy should be personal safety and the judgment of reporters who are on the frontlines of wars or disasters."

  The Ministry of Economic Affairs which scheduled Yu's visit to the flood diversion site on Monday morning, but the visit was cancelled due to fallen rocks that blocked the premier's motorcade, according to the Government Information Office.

  Ma said government officials should be careful to select when to visit dangerous areas. "I am not saying that all government officials should hide in their homes while some professionals carry out their jobs in bad weather," said Ma. "However, officials should make sound judgments as to what events are worth showing up to ... Unnecessary visits to dangerous areas not only expose their own lives to danger, but also the lives of the reporters."
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