| Chapter 5
Covering
Crime and Its Victims
By
Suzette Hackney
After the Incident
A sit-down interview is often an optimal way to gather as much information
as possible. Not only is the interviewee more at ease, but personal
surroundings can also elicit more honest and personal responses
and antidotes. Often photo albums are brought out, as are high school
diplomas and special letters. If a photographer or cameraperson
is present, powerful images can be obtained as such articles are
being shown or viewed.
Do the research. Know as many of the basics as possible before
stepping into the interview. It will save time and heartache.
Over the Phone
Again, always identify yourself and your affiliation. If an in-person
interview is not possible, tell the interviewee that you'd just
like to spend a few minutes with them on the phone. It's more difficult
to conduct an interview via telephone. You often miss expressions
and body language, which can tell another part of the story. It's
important to truly listen during a phone interview. Sometimes we're
so busy taking notes or typing, that we miss important details.
If necessary, ask the interviewee to speak slowly or take breaks
after completing thoughts. Such breaks will allow the writer to
get down what was said, ensure that is a quote is correct, and give
interviewees time to form their thoughts.
What to Ask
It's best to get the basics out of the way early in the conversation.
Get names and correct spellings, ages and where they subjects live.
It's easy to become engrossed in a conversation and forget to ask
the most simple questions.
It can be difficult to interview grieving individuals or those
who have been victimized. Reporters often open fresh wounds by simply
being present. It can be nerve-racking and traumatizing for both
involved parties. It's best to be sincere and apologize for questions
that may elicit a negative response. There are some tips to get
through those difficult times, though. Exercise patience –
allow that person to compose themselves. You may even want to say,
"Take your time." If you are talking to a family member
or friend of the victim, remind them that you're there to share
in the good memories. If you're talking to the victim, tell them
you want your viewers, readers or listeners to truly understand
what they have endured.
It's often best to ask the victim for a narrative as to what happened.
It can help ease dialogue and elicit excellent details. Focus on
active listening. Constant interruptions or questions can often
get the storyteller off track. You want to become a visual dictionary
for your readers, describing and sharing significant details.
Accuracy
Bill Cote, co-founder of Michigan State University's Victims in
the Media Program, insists that above all else, victims are concerned
about accuracy. Victims wince when they see an error, often the
last thing that will ever be written about them or their loved one.
The golden rule in journalism is to get it right. Period. Go that
extra mile. Triple-check the spellings of names. Call back the interviewee
if a section of your notes aren't clear. Re-read any police reports
or other documents you may have gathered. Some journalists even
verify pertinent facts with sources before the piece is published.
How Graphic
Should the Story Be?
Stories about violence or crime shouldn't be sanitized to spare
the feelings of victims or families, but considering their perspective
improves the quality of a piece. While sensational or shocking details
can be appealing to reporters, victims can often feel dehumanized
in the process, and that can have a detrimental effect and alter
the story's overall significance. Graphic details don't always make
a story more compelling - there are times when all the news isn't
fit to print. Still, there are times when graphic details are necessary
to tell a story. In June 1993, Lorena Bobbitt of northern Virginia
severed her husband's penis with a kitchen knife as he slept. John
Wayne Bobbitt became a household name, with every major news organization
giving lots of ink and airtime to the incident. It would have been
impossible to tell that story without mentioning "penis,"
and news editors made the call. As a reporter, ask yourself these
questions:
- Is this graphic detail necessary to tell the story?
- Will this detail help the community at large?
- Will readers or viewers be offended by such details?
- Will the victim suffer more because of the details?
- Will this detail help police in solving the crime? And is it your
duty to help?
Who Else Do You
Interview?
Another challenge for journalists is achieving objectivity, fairness
and balance in reporting on crime and victim issues when most information
comes from the victims. It is difficult to confirm their stories
independently and t to avoid taking sides. Therefore, it's important
to ask the interviewee if there is someone else who would be willing
to speak. It could be a neighbor who witnessed the incident or someone
who knows the suspect. Police who are investigating the crime and
prosecutors are also good sources. Victim rights advocates can lend
a unique perspective, too. They often offer thoughts and advice
that reporters aren't trained to comprehend or detect. Some victims
prefer to have a support system in place when they are being interviewed.
Just be mindful that an advocate is just that – someone who
is there for the victim. Don't allow that person to take over an
interview or cause you to report the story in a biased manner.
In fact, some advocacy groups are becoming much more aggressive
about representing victims. For example, the Washington D.C.-based
National Center on Victims of Crime, has since 1985 worked to become
the voice for victims and help victims to rebuild their lives. In
addition to lobbying for the passage of laws and public policies
that create resources and secure rights and protections for crime
victims, the center maintains that victims should be able to set
the conditions of interviews and interaction with reporters and
criminal justice officials.
Advocates make valid points that are sometimes forgotten by journalists.
Reporters and editors love the anniversary story – revisiting
a crime or incident that occurred one, five or ten years ago. Advocates
balk when the victims aren't forewarned that those stories are coming.
It can be difficult for a victim to see their image or that of a
family member on television or on magazine or newspaper pages without
proper preparation. Most news media executives would agree that
a victim deserves such information. It's usually not an intentional
slight, but an oversight that can cause severe pain for the victim.
Advocates also encourage reporters to be empathetic. It is respectful
to acknowledge the person's trauma or loss up front. Doing so also
sets the tone that is a safe environment in which to express feelings.
Any reporter covering crime and its victims should recognize another
facet to telling the whole story. Reporters should explore stories
about how the justice system is treating victims.
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