The Insensitive Media Personnel
The mood was one of grief and shock. A 24 year old Malay youth, Mohamed Asrul has drowned at the Singapore River. He had been drinking with his buddies at the waterfront next to Central Mall after watching the World Cup. At about 7am, he fell into the water and lost consciousness, 2 of his buddies tried to pull him up but failed, as they were not strong swimmers themselves.
Together with my reporter, we arrived to find his 3 buddies sitting in daze and shock outside the cordon which the police has set up around the body of Asrul. I had to work quickly and sensitively, hence, I tried to keep my distance and take a few shots, rather than fire off randomly. The chinese reporters were already interviewing the 3 buddies and had got most of the info. It is always easier to talk to Malays in such circumstances. I can be sure that if it the group is Chinese, we would get nothing and might get chased away.
A female reporter from the English papers appeared and asked me "is he dead?", "He drown?"
I was trying not to be sarcastic and wished she was using a softer tone considering the fact that we were 15 metres away from the buddies and the dead man. I replied "yes" with a slight smile, thinking what the hell is this young lady doing??? Even if the technique of interviewing was not taught in school, she should have some common sense and sensitivity for things that are right before her eyes. She proceed to join in the "questioning" of the buddies, asking them "Can you tell me what happen?"
She was lucky they were Malays and very accomodating. The have been through enough and were still recovering from the shock of losing a childhood friend right before their eyes only hours before. It would have been better she were to sit beside them and ask tactfully. The other reporters had already backed off, and she was still standing right in from of the buddies asking and writing on her note book. The "questioning" was interrupted more than once by calls from her bosses back in office wanting to know what happened. I know how this works, and it is perfectly alright to ignore the calls and report back later, given the fact that the persons involved in such situation are willing to talk.
Reflecting back on what happened throughout, I was guilty of insensitivity too. I took shots of the buddies without making much eye contact with them. The heart breaking moment was when the 3 buddies have to help wrap of the body of Asrul before the undertaker took him away. They were still drinking and smoking before this moment, and I thought it might be their way of coping with the grief. With tatooed bodies and cigarette still on his lips, the closest friend who tried to save Asrul touch his friend's forehead and cried. I shot, stopped, shot and looked, forcing myself not to hide behind the camera.
We left with what we have gotten soon after the body was taken away. The media has gotten their stories and the only good they might have done is to remind the public of the dangers and probably pressure the authorities to take preventive measure, because Asrul's buddies are accomodating, but they are left with the guilt of failing to save their friend and may have to break the news to his family.
Together with my reporter, we arrived to find his 3 buddies sitting in daze and shock outside the cordon which the police has set up around the body of Asrul. I had to work quickly and sensitively, hence, I tried to keep my distance and take a few shots, rather than fire off randomly. The chinese reporters were already interviewing the 3 buddies and had got most of the info. It is always easier to talk to Malays in such circumstances. I can be sure that if it the group is Chinese, we would get nothing and might get chased away.
A female reporter from the English papers appeared and asked me "is he dead?", "He drown?"
I was trying not to be sarcastic and wished she was using a softer tone considering the fact that we were 15 metres away from the buddies and the dead man. I replied "yes" with a slight smile, thinking what the hell is this young lady doing??? Even if the technique of interviewing was not taught in school, she should have some common sense and sensitivity for things that are right before her eyes. She proceed to join in the "questioning" of the buddies, asking them "Can you tell me what happen?"
She was lucky they were Malays and very accomodating. The have been through enough and were still recovering from the shock of losing a childhood friend right before their eyes only hours before. It would have been better she were to sit beside them and ask tactfully. The other reporters had already backed off, and she was still standing right in from of the buddies asking and writing on her note book. The "questioning" was interrupted more than once by calls from her bosses back in office wanting to know what happened. I know how this works, and it is perfectly alright to ignore the calls and report back later, given the fact that the persons involved in such situation are willing to talk.
Reflecting back on what happened throughout, I was guilty of insensitivity too. I took shots of the buddies without making much eye contact with them. The heart breaking moment was when the 3 buddies have to help wrap of the body of Asrul before the undertaker took him away. They were still drinking and smoking before this moment, and I thought it might be their way of coping with the grief. With tatooed bodies and cigarette still on his lips, the closest friend who tried to save Asrul touch his friend's forehead and cried. I shot, stopped, shot and looked, forcing myself not to hide behind the camera.
We left with what we have gotten soon after the body was taken away. The media has gotten their stories and the only good they might have done is to remind the public of the dangers and probably pressure the authorities to take preventive measure, because Asrul's buddies are accomodating, but they are left with the guilt of failing to save their friend and may have to break the news to his family.
posted by Kwang Peng at 8:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home