Monday, February 4, 2013

The Reporter And The Random Person: Is This Professional?

A Florida reporter was doing a live shot/preview package in New Orleans the day before the Super Bowl when a random person approached her and began talking.

Did the reporter handle this situation properly?

14 comments:

Zoe Evans said...

I mean she didn't necessarily handle the situation inappropriately, but I can see how it could be viewed as rude or unprofessional. However people need to realize that journalists deal with idiots like this all the time, and they all deal with it in a different way. Some get mad or frustrated, some do their best to simply ignore it and others, like this woman here, choose to have a sense of humour about it. Irregardless of how they handle the situation as long as they continue to cover the story and get the news out there, they're doing their job, and in this case I would say yes, she handled it properly.

Lina Je said...

She did not handle this situation properly. She obviously was not happy about being there and she brought in her own emotions. She should, as a journalist understand that there are going to be people who annoy you or sometimes you're going to have to report on something you don't want to. Also, people don't want to know if you're having a bad day. They just want to hear the news. On top of that, She was condescending and should have either ignored the lady or actually gotten a brief interview on the subject matter.

Santina Pescatore said...

I understand that it is 5 or 6 am and that place on Earth she probably wanted to be was on Bourbon St; however, this is the job she choose. While the video doesn't show what happened before or after, it does not appear as if the women was being that much of a nuisance. Everyone is allowed to have a bad day, but this reporter took her obvious aggression out in a cynical way on an individual. In the end, she just embarrassed herself.

Marnice Davis said...

As a journalist it is our job to remain professional at all times. On the other hand, it is important to get the news across and not let random "yahoos" (as used in Journalism 1111) still the glory. I believe the reporter's tactic to dismiss the 49ers fan was appropriate, however, the topic that she chose was not.

Ciara Murphy said...

This reporter did not handle the situation properly at all. The job description of a broad cast journalist pretty much comes with the task of dealing with attention seeking bystanders. This journalist made the woman who interrupted her broadcast look unintelligent and made a joke out of her [ although she did not need much help]. The job of a journalist is to serve the citizens not make a make mockery out of them.

Chantell Hernandez said...

As long as we get the "news" the reporter is there to report..that's all that personally matters to me. Her behavior was subjective..I can see some people getting easily offended and some finding her reaction funny.

Samantha Rich said...

Part of being a journalist, especially one who reports live from the scene involves dealing with the public. It is unbeknownst to me as to why, but much of the public seems to be quite drawn to news cameras, just as the strange woman in this video was. And as much as her behavior was uncalled for, she was not the one who was expected to act professionally in this situation, the reporter was. And she did not. She certainly could have handled this situation in a different manor.

Benjamin Curran said...

This reporter acted both inappropriately and unprofessionally. I can only hope that she is embarrassed by the way she handled the situation. She could have dismissed this woman, even rudely, without taking it to an inappropriate and downright offensive level.

Carly Van Houten said...

I feel as though her dismissing the girl she handled it well being it was live and not rehearsed but the topic she chose may have been inappropriate and crude. But being where she is and her job she has to be trained to deal with circumstances like that one all the time. So her choice of exchange was not necessary but the person was also rude too.

Nicole Bonghi said...

I don't believe the reporter handled the situation properly because her presentation was overall too casual and not well thought out. As soon as the woman approached the area, the newscaster immediately jumped into STD rates, etc without even identifying basic background information such as the individual's name, hometown, and the like. She could have done so first to provide a firm transition into the main story. The writer's quick assumption made her come across as ignorant/clueless and therefore extremely unprofessional.
Throughout the whole "interview", the reporter seemed to be very all over the place. It was clear she felt uncomfortable by the woman's spontaneous "guest appearance" which ultimately dictated the outcome of the broadcast as a whole. It was painfully awkward to watch as a the viewer because I didn't know what to expect leading me to dread possible what ifs as the video progressed.

Anonymous said...

Sorry but this is going to bug me.
Journalists also should know how to spell.
First person, up above?
- Regardless= YES.
- Irregardless = NO.
^ That don't make no sense!

Sarah Lehman said...

This was not appropriate. However, I found it funny. Unfortunately for the reporter, I am sure some viewers did not find it very entertaining. The reporter seemed to be taking her anger out on innocent bystanders and showing it the public, which is unprofessional.

If she was mad about the story she was covering, the appropriate thing would have been to suck it up while she had to and then somehow attempt to alter it later on, not embarrass someone on television.

Unknown said...

Personally, I thought it was hilarious. Yes, her question might have been insensitive/inappropriate, however, if people are going to jump in front of a camera like that...that was their own fault. I see it all the time when people try to jump up and down behind reporters or give them the finger. I think the reporter had the right to embarrass that drunk lady. Perhaps the most funny part of this situation was that the woman didn't comprehend what the reporter asked her about having an STD.

Julian Gross said...

I feel that the reporter acted inappropriately by jumping off topic to handle a heckler. On the other hand she did report the news by adding light to STDs on Bourbon Street. Of course, the reporter would have to verify her source before making such a claim.