SHOWREEL

INTERVIEW: Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Editor of Channel 5 News

Photograph source: ITV

“Always believe in yourself, never let anybody tell you that you can’t do something and if they do prove them wrong.” These are the encouraging words of Channel 5 News Editor, Cristina Nicolotti Squires, who is the only female at the top of a network news programme.

Top ten tips for aspiring journalists:

1. To be a successful journalist you just have to be able to get on with people really well, I look for evidence of somebody who has interacted with people from all walks of life.

2. Just being an interesting personality is important. Every newsroom is a team and everybody needs a team player that will be fun to be around as well as very good at their job.

3. People who are going to do well in Journalism are the people who will give things a go, and at the beginning of your career you have more opportunity to take those risks.

4. Get as much experience as you can, when you get your foot in the door just become part of the team as quickly as you can, and make the organisation you are in feel as if they couldn’t possibly live without you.

5. I want to see evidence of what you’ve been involved in to prove you have an interest in journalism before you have even started. Anyone who is a graduate from a degree in journalism is already committed, just show that you are using the skills you’ve got.

6. You can’t do Journalism unless you love it; it’s a job that involves passion and commitment. Work is such a big part of our life if you don’t love it that’s tragic.

7. Pluralism in this business is really important you never want a situation where there is one straight broadcaster. Keeping an eye on your competitors is important but equally knowing your audience or your readership.

8. In my day it really was who you knew that helped you, but most places now have official work experience schemes, which you can apply to, but the whole working for free thing, you have to be careful it’s not abused.

9. As a freelancer, you have to put yourself about, ring news desk and try and get meetings with people. As a freelancer you have the freedom to do a wide variety of stuff, but you have to be organised, with all the paperwork

10. Juggling work and life is exactly that, it’s a juggle, sometimes it tips one way and sometimes it tips the other you just have to try to do the best can.

Traditionally newsrooms are male dominated, but what about Woman in Journalism?

I was at lunch the other day with an outlet called ‘Woman in Journalism’ and we were discussing all this, because it is still quite rare for a woman to be at the top in this business. I am the only woman in charge of network news. It is hard and it is a juggle but you can make it happen. I feel as a woman at the top of the business, I can say to young people, well I’ve managed it so why can’t you? It’s totally possible. The glass ceiling is only in our minds, and it’s up to us as woman to organise our lives accordingly.

How does the Channel 5 Newsroom work?

The main responsibility of the editor is to lead the team to produce the best journalism and news coverage that we can. What’s great about here is that because we have a small team, everyone takes part; we make a collective decision that we all work on.
8:30am - Morning editorial meeting which everyone attends, including the producers, the news desk and whichever reporters are not already out and about. We talk through the stories of the day and we come up with ideas.
10:30am – We meet again to talk about the later programme at 6:30pm to find out what we are going to develop and push on that.
12:00pm - We have a planning meeting for the next day
12:45pm – This is when we go through the run down of the 5 o’clock and 6:30pm bulletin. The producers talk us through how the piece is being put together, what elements its got, what elements we still need to chase.
Then we have a weekly planning meeting once a week on a Wednesday.

What do you find the most challenging about your job?

The difficulty with journalism is that it’s a career that doesn’t always fit into calendars and diaries. When I used to travel around the world I used to go to the toilets and cry, it sounds crazy but I hate having plans and having them ripped up.

What do you love the most about your job?

I just love news. I love things happening. I love the challenge of reporting stories and the teamwork involved in putting television together. I’m just fascinated by people and their stories. Everyone has a story and that’s what makes me so passionate about news. To be in a position where you decide what millions of people get in terms of information everyday is extremely powerful and extremely responsible, we tell people about what is going on in the world, and to be in that position is a remarkable privilege.

I never thought I’d be here, but I love it, I feel like it was something I was born to do. 

Joe Mather: Editor of BBC Crimewatch

Crimewatch Editor, Joe Mather speaks about the production of the Live shows and how their appeals aim to help the police solve unsolved crimes in the UK. As well as discussing his responsibilities as the Editor, he explains what qualities he would look for in someone aspiring to join the Crimewatch team.

Eric Allison: Prisoner to Prison Correspondent

“In prison I used to get put in segregation for saying my piece and yet here I am giving you my comments and my thoughts and getting paid.”

Eric Allison, 71, spent around 16 years behind bars all for theft related offences. In 2003, he applied for the job as the Guardian’s Prison Correspondent with a criminal record for a CV. In the past decade, he transformed his life from a prisoner to a prison reporter.

As a young boy, aged 11, Allison got his first conviction for housebreaking on his criminal record, and three years on, at 14 he was given his first custodial sentence.

I was always pretty anti-authority; if somebody told me to do something I would go out of my way to not do it.  I was very rebellious. I wasn’t very happy as a child. I had quite a bad stammer and a squint in my eye, and I used to get a lot of name calling and I would fight them. I was always fighting as a kid, and I stopped going to secondary school. I was away from school far more then I attended.

I ran away from home and broke into a day nursery to sleep. I was caught and put on probation and when I was 14 years old I breached that probation because I stole a chewing gum machine. I was sentenced at the juvenile court in Manchester and two police officers took me down to Foston Hall detention centre, on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. It was December and it was dark when we got there, it was a big sort of gloomy Victorian building with barbed wire fence round. We went into the reception area and this guy told me to stand on the white line and give my name, I said “Eric Allison” and I was going to say “Sir” but because of the stammer the Sir wouldn’t come out. The guy just walked across me, clenched his fist and punched me really hard across the face. I was so frightened because I thought if he could assault me in front of two police officers, what were they going to do when the police were gone? I was terrified so much that I wet the bed in the cell that night. They put me in a dormitory with other kids who wet the bed and they used to wake us up every hour to go to the toilet whether we wanted to or not. We were knackered because it was run on the military lines. You’d never stop.

“You wouldn’t let the system beat you”

The detention centre was meant to be a short sharp shock. The idea was to frighten the life out of us so we wouldn’t come back, and of course it didn’t work. This comes back to the defiance, you start sticking together and it becomes us against them or them against us and you become determined not to let them win. You wouldn’t let the system beat you.

I’ve been locked up with murderers, terrorists, rapists and psychopaths. You name it, even gangsters. I’ve seen a lot of examples of prisoners behaving badly towards one another, but if I was to list the worst twenty acts in humanity that I have ever seen in prison, not one of them in the top twenty would be carried out by a prisoner. I’ve seen six or seven prison officers beat people to pulp, with sticks, and I have had it, I’ve been beaten and batten myself. There had been times when I thought: “These bastards are going to kill me.” 

 “I got a buzz out of it”

Not many days would go by when I didn’t commit a crime. I loved the excitement; I got a buzz out of it. I miss that excitement even now. It was never about the money, it was actually the taking part. The buzz… I got a buzz from it without a shadow of a doubt.

Around 1968, I was sent to Strangeway’s prison for 4 and a half years, this was the longest time I spent away in one go because I lost all the remission I may have got for good behaviour. In the 60s, it was a stinking place, all the “slopping out” because there was no in-cell sanitation then, everything was lousy, visiting was lousy, the staff were lousy too; there were a lot of bullies, a lot of thugs. I spent a long time in segregation.

On April fool’s day 1990, a time where Allison was at liberty, a riot broke out in Strangeway’s Prison. The protest lasted 25 days, the biggest in British Penal History.

Prisoners protesting on the roof at Strangeways Prison

I was out of prison but I remember it, I had been somewhere Sunday morning and I came back home and my stepson said: “It’s gone off at Strangeways, it’s on the news” and I drove down straight away and I saw them all on the roof and it was quite…quite emotional because I had a very bad relationship with the place. I hated the place and to see these kids on the roof I actually felt quite jealous in a way. I wanted to be there on the roof.

I took a loud-hailer down with me most days, and I was shouting up to them on the roof and I was talking to people, all of the press that were there, I was telling them what was wrong with the place. I just felt quite emotional; they did something that we had never managed to do. I was elated for them, but also concerned because I knew the ring leaders would pay a very heavy price and so they did.

In 1996 Allison was sent back to Strangeway’s prison, he was sentenced to seven years for scamming £1 million from Barclay’s bank. This was the last time he was in jail, serving just over 3 years.

When I went back in the 90s everything had changed, but the biggest change was the attitude of the staff; all the thugs had gone. I had my own moral boundaries that I wouldn’t cross in crime. I thought in a way I’ve always been a good criminal, but when the system is cruel and unjust then the criminal becomes the victim.

Freedom is a funny thing, I came out just at the millennium but even now I get feelings, and I visit prisons quite a lot so it still takes me back. Prison changes you…It’s a bit like, you know, you….you sort of get solitude…

The first time I was in a cell on my own it was very lonely, and I found the loneliness quite difficult. You make a virtue out of a necessity and I began to embrace loneliness then. I find it difficult to live with people. I’m much better off living alone. I think prison has a lot to do with that.

My eldest girl was at University while I was away and she had told me that somebody would say “What does your dad do? – “Oh my dad’s a thief” - but having got the job she says “my dad writes for the Guardian”. That was a good moment in my life.

I always enjoyed writing; it was always the one thing I was good at in school. I like words and I got my education in prison. The Guardian advertised for the position and I applied for the job. They wanted a 500 word essay and a CV, but my CV was all prison and crime. I never thought for one second that I would get the job; I didn’t even think that I wanted it. I just thought I would tell them what was wrong with the prison system.

I couldn’t type; I didn’t know one end of the computer from the other. I had to start absolutely from scratch. When they said the jobs yours I had to go away and think about it. I just knew it would be a massive change. I can’t remember when I didn’t steal… I was five or six when I started nicking stuff, I was quite frightened by the idea of being a straight go-er and even now I feel like a bit of an imposter sometimes.

This will be my eleventh year at the Guardian now, sometimes it seems as if I have been here all my life and other times it feels like I’ve just arrived. Occasionally I do stuff for ‘Comment is Free’ and they’re always very apologetic it’s only 90 quid, but I say, “Are you kidding?” In prison I used to get put in segregation for saying my piece and yet here I am giving you my comments and my thoughts and getting paid…it’s odd.

If it hadn’t have been for the job, I would still be at it without a shadow of a doubt, because that would be the only thing I knew. 

A version of this article has been published on The Justice Gap, a trade magazine on the law and justice. Click here.

Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done

Court reporters are usually huddled in the press box, with their notebooks in hand and 100wpm shorthand under their belt, but now with the exception of certain cases, they can rely on one video-journalist to capture the proceedings live from inside the courtroom. 

Since 1925, cameras have been banned in courtrooms in England and Wales, and journalists have lived by their mantra of being ‘the eyes and ears for the public’. This ban was lifted at the end of last year when cameras were installed at the Court of Appeal meaning access would no longer stop at the door.

The courtroom has always been a rich source of stories for journalists. The gripping and gruesome quotes in the judges’ summing up - captivates readers, leaving them hooked and astonished by some of the most horrendous acts committed by humans. However, some may find that they do not have the time to grab the daily newspaper and that watching a visually powerful image, on the go, is far more engaging, accessible and efficient.

Anyone interested in the legal system can choose to switch on and follow the chosen televised case. The idea here is that justice will not only be done, but will also be seen to be done, targeting a larger audience by providing transparency and open access to justice for all. We should consider that this may come at a cost for the reputation of journalists, as the public may lose trust in editors who risk sensationalising content that may be perceived as entertainment rather than for the purpose of reporting news. Particularly if the defendant has previously been in the media spotlight, it may feel as though journalists are glorifying their trial as it’s aired or splashed across front pages. 

The principle of televising proceedings will be applauded by many in the legal profession, with the general thought that it was long overdue. Although many may gain an educational insight in watching it, it is easy to fall into the trap of watching for the sheer pleasure of seeing the most recently publically ‘hated’ figure, ridiculed in the hot seat. However, doesn’t this tarnish the philosophy that justice should be a serious matter?

What’s to say that people won’t play up to the cameras? 

We have to consider the behaviour of the judges and the lawyers here. They know they are being watched. Take for instance the current case of Oscar Pistorius in South Africa. He is a public figure that has been in the media for over a year now since it was reported that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013. Although we cannot see Pistorius when he is in the witness dock, we can hear all of his answers and emotional sobs. This really dramatises the case, bringing the trial to life, as viewers are hooked as it unfolds by the day.

We have seen the prosecutor laugh in response to Pistorius’ answer, and the judge demand for the public gallery to stop their careless whispers, and to reiterate that this is not an entertaining matter. It can be argued that a high profile case such as this, with a vast amount of public attention on their every move, heightens the tension and pressure for those involved. We cannot ignore the fear and anguish that the defendant may feel, and more importantly the victims who may be put off the idea of coming forward. After all anyone can tune in and watch their personal and private ‘business’. This is potentially fatal, leading to a new generation of silent victims who have been deterred from coming forward.

Taking these new advances into factor, rumour has it that television companies don’t want it to stop there. We may be able to hear them, but what they really want is to be able to see the ‘celebrity’ figure in the dock framed for shameful charges. They may argue that it would make good TV, but it could be deemed to be a mockery to the criminal justice system.

Going to court is not on an average person’s daily agenda, but many more are likely to turn on the TV in the comfort of their own home. When people watch the news they are usually faced with a journalist speaking outside the usual bland court building, with the occasional glance to their notebooks in hand. Often when producing a video report it lacks visuals, with merely a mug shot, or the rushes of the accused walking in and out of the court. With the luxury of gaining access in to the courts, we can avoid the robotic and structured reports that usually involve a verbal reel of facts. Crime and the courts may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and therefore those without an interest will find listening to legal argument and court jargon pretty dull, repetitive and dreary. 

With the murder trial of Pistorius, we have seen him in the dock for days on end for hours at a time. Broadcasters, in particular Sky News, produce a special programme to repeatedly play the highlights of the day.

Social media has also played a significant role in reaching a larger audience, with journalists tweeting live from inside the courtroom. This live feed recaps what is being heard in court. 

Other features include subtitles on the screen when the defendant’s mutterings are not audible, and as a viewer we can see photographs and exhibits, within reason, when the legal teams refer to them.

Reporting on criminal proceedings demonstrates responsible journalism as it requires ethical judgement and a strong knowledge of what is safe to report when trespassing on legal ground. Audience trust is vitally important, and the reputation of a court reporter boils down to whether it is legally sound, abiding by the law of contempt of court.

Proceedings in the country’s highest court in the UK, The Supreme Court were already streamed Live on the internet, but now with access into the Court of Appeal the next step is awaiting the approval for the Government to consider filming inside the Crown Court.

This has been a landmark moment for Justice and Journalism, but it raises the question of whether it will end here, or if broadcasters will demand to see more.

Media Law Revision: Possible Questions

What is the highest court in the UK?  Where does it sit? How many justices?

Supreme Court, Middlesex Guildhall near parliament, 12 Justices

Three functions of Crown Courts? 

Trys indictable only offences, appeals from magistrates, longest prison sentencing

Three functions of Magistrates courts? 

Trys summary offences, committals, power of up to 6months sentencing

What is the difference between a civil and criminal offence?

Criminal offence is an act against society as a whole

Civil offence is a dispute between two citizens or a company.

Is the legal test of proof the same or different?

Criminal = Beyond Reasonable Doubt

Civil = On the balance of probabilities

Give 3 sources of law in the UK.

Common Law, Case Law/Precedent, Statute law/Acts of Parliament, European Law

What do journalists mean by the public interest?

Public interest is a justification to breach certain codes of conduct. The public interest does not mean is merely interesting to the public, it means it is of real value and concern for the public to know e.g. to expose crime, protects their health and safety, prevent the public from being misled and disclose imcompetence.

Briefly explain what is meant by ‘prejudice’ and ‘contempt’ in the context of media law.

Prejudice = publishing certain information which may prevent the accused person the right to a fair trial, e.g. portraying them in a negative light.

Contempt = breaching the rules surround crime and court reporting, leading to a high risk of prejudice.

When does a case become legally active?

When a person has been charged, the police make an arrest, an arrest warrant has been issued or magistrates issue a summons.

After an arrest is made what sort of facts – in general terms – can be reported?  (Those which won’t be at issue at trial)

Facts which cannot be contested at trial, e.g. community colour – there is risk of prejudice when an arrest has been made so it’s important to seek legal advice.

The accused appears before magistrates – in general terms what can you report? List them…

1.       Name, Age, Address, Occupation (Identification)

2.       Charges faced

3.       Name of Court and Magistrates Name

4.       Names of Barristers and Solicitors

5.       Date and Place as to whether it was adjourned

6.       Whether legal aid was granted

7.       Whether bail was granted or not

8.       If reporting restrictions apply

What is meant by an ‘either-way’ offence

It can be trialled at both a Magistrates Court or Crown Court

What is maximum sentence magistrates can impose?

6 months, they can also impose fines up to £5k

What is meant by a conditional discharge?

This is where there is insufficient evidence for it to be sent to the crown court

What is the purpose of a ‘Section 49 order’?

To give anonymity to juveniles (under 18) in Youth courts

What is purpose of a Section 39 order? 

To give anonymity to juveniles (under 18) in Adult courts

What do we mean by ‘jigsaw identification’?

This is where a combination of details are published which identify someone that was granted anonymity.

One morning you arrive at court and barristers are making legal arguments about crucial evidence. You notice the jury isn’t there.  Can you report the proceedings?

No – When the jury are out, you cannot report anything.

What is required of your court report for it to attract absolute privilege?

It must be fair, accurate and contemporaneous

In this context explain what is meant by ‘fair’.

Fair means it has balance from both sides. (Accurate means as heard in court, and Contemporaneous means it must be published as soon as practicable)

During a murder trial a family member shouts at the defendant from the public gallery. “You lying bastard – you killed our boy!”  Is that safe to report?

No defamatory statements heard in the Public Gallery do not tract absolute privilege

How would you define libel?

 Libel = Identification + Publication + Defamation

It is a civil wrong doing if a defamatory statement is published which identifies a person or company.

How do we know when a statement is defamatory (4 tests used by judges)

A statement is defamatory if it tends to:

1.       Lower them in the estimation of right thinking people

2.       Causes them to be shunned and avoided

3.       Exposes them to hatred, ridicule and contempt

4.       Disparages them in their business, trade and profession

What particular danger is there of libel for TV journalists?

 Danger in broadcast is Picture libel – this is careless use of shots against a juxtaposing voice over.

What are the 3 major libel defences?

 It is the truth

 It is Honest Opinion (based on facts known at the time and without malice)

It is in the Public Interest

Others defences are:

Absolute privilege – protects court coverage and inquests

Qualified privilege – protects public meeting e.g. council meetings

The new Defamation Act 2013 – the claimant must now prove that it has caused serious harm e.g. losses

Something re the McAlpine affair

 BBC Newsnight broadcast a statement that implied McAlphine was involved in the sexual abuse of children; although he was not named he was subject to internet speculation. Sally Bercow tweeted “Why is Lord McAlphine trending? *Innocent Face* which the high court ruled to be libellous due to Jigsaw Identification.

Why is the legal principle of privilege so important to journalists?

 It provides them with a defence and justification to report defamatory statements that may be untrue.

Give examples of occasions when reports may attract QP with, and without, explanation and contradiction.

Without = reporting on legislature anywhere in the world, e.g UK Parliament

With = reporting on public meetings, police statements, council meetings

 Why was a public meeting in 2000 about the jailed paratrooper Lee Clegg so significant?

 Lord Bingham ruled that in regards to a public meeting whereby the press have been invited with intention to addressing a large audience, then journalists will act as the eyes and ears of the public

What’s the purpose of copyright law?

 To protect out intellectual property and creative content

You use a photo off the internet.  Is it free of copyright? 

 No, photographs are not free of copyright; you have to look for photos under creative commons.

Why is the principle of fair dealing important and what are its limitations?

 Fair dealing is important because it is when journalists can ‘lift’ other media outlets material. It must be a purpose of reporting on a current news event.

Limitations include:

 1. It must be attributed to the original source

2. Of fair usage

3. In the public interest.

What is the purpose of the law of confidence?

 Purpose is to safeguard information that has been given in confidential circumstances

What are the danger areas for journalists?

 Revealing state secrets (Official Secrets – protects information relating to defence of the country)

Revealing commercial secrets (Commercials Confidentiality – protects contracts between employers)

Revealing information that is private to someone (Privacy = Article 8 ‘everyone has the Right to respect for his private and family life’)

What dilemma does a journalist face when newsworthy information comes into his or her possession?

 The dilemma they face is to either publish the information and risk legal action being taken, Or to get a response to the allegations giving the accused person the risk to reply and risk an injunction (legally stopped) being imposed.  

Privacy is now better protected under Human Rights Act Art 8. Give an example of where public figures have won cases where they have claimed breach of privacy or confidence.

What bodies are responsible for regulating the professional conduct of journalists?

 Max Mosley Vs The News of The World – The NoTW published an article detailing Mosley’s ‘Nazi-themed’ orgy with five woman. The high court ruled this was not a matter of public interest.

Naomi Campbell Vs The Mirror Group –The Mirror published photographs of Campbell leaving narcotics anonymous meeting, and reporting on her drug addiction therapy.  The House of Lords ruled that she has reasonable expectation of privacy.  

Which body has most power and why?

 OFCOM has the greatest statutory power, they can prevent the repetition of a programme, revoke a licence, fine up to 5% of revenue or request for an apology or statement to be issued. It has the greatest power because it is independent of the Government.

Define impartiality.   Would there be any difference in your approach to this if you were working in newspapers or broadcasting?

 Broadcasters must be accurate and impartial; impartiality means that they are not biased. In newspapers they can be partial according to whether they are left or right wing.

Why is accuracy and impartiality especially important at election times?

 During election periods our reports assist the democratic process helping voters to make their choice, therefore it is essential that all major parties receive equal coverage

What are the danger areas for journalists during campaign reporting?

1.       Maintaining impartiality, coverage of Major and Minor parties, log of coverage should be kept.

2.       False statements about election candidates (Phil Woolas Case)

3.       Exit polls and Opinion Polls

Must all candidates standing in a constituency be covered equally?

 All the major parties – Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats must be reported equally but the minor parties do not.

In the context of the upcoming European Election – OFCOM have ruled that UKIP is a major party.  

On polling day when can we start reporting exit polls?

 When the polls have officially closed

On polling day a candidate makes a final plea to voters – can we report this?

No, there is no reporting of political issues or arguments on polling day. The main aim is to urge people to vote.