No lock on the nitty-gritty when it comes to covering shooting deaths.
Think Local But Some Act Global
Over the past 17-years I have worked on many PR assignments, most (but not all) have revolved around the non-profit culture sector. It is not particularly financially rewarding work, but, the cause is usually just and you don't have to push dubious projects that people don't want or need (like the Irish diaper cream project I crashed and burned on).
Aside from assisting after a terrorist attack, and some pro-bono work I did for the legal team helping the mother of a murdered Jane/Finch student, I have stayed away from the gritty, painful side of crisis communications.
Today (Sunday August 31st) was different. So was Saturday.
On Saturday I spent 10-hours in the searing heat of summer, rescuing news crews stuck inside parade barriers within Toronto's mammoth Caribbean Carnival. When I wasn't doing that I was on the street herding sex crazedphotographers who seemed determined to get their long lenses cameras right into the nether regions of the thousands of women who played Mas at the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival. A strange profession but it is typical assignment when dealing with the men and women who were cover the annual summer Long Weekend Parade.
The last hour of the day was stressful and dangerous, the attendance was over the top - one official told me 1.5 million. As the parade wound down, thousands of people breached the fences and drunkenly tried to get onto centre stage with the last of the performing Mas players in front of the judging stand on Lakeshore Drive. The police wanted to shut it down; I wanted to get the media out before they got to witness first hand, something really bad happening.
However, the show was allowed to continue - all bands made it onto the street and were judged at the review stand near the Ontario Place parking lot. Somehow we were able to keep the crowds back. The parade ended at 6.10 with only a few minor incidents. Heat. Dehydration. Alcohol.
I left just before 7pm, thinking that once again, the parade had "dodged a bullet". Might be true about the actual parade, but, the same can't be said for one man who was shot dead by the police an hour and a bit after the parade ended.
For a little while the police were quiet about the shooting and the media was unaware of what had happened on Lakeshore Drive. That didn't stop the social media. By the time I got to my home office I already had two cell phone pictures of the dead man lying in the street, sent to me. I also had a link to a cell phone video of the police and dead man.
While following people first hand comments on Twitter and from an associate who is better plugged into the Social Media scene, I was able to brief the festival executive and craft a response (posted on this blog) to the events of the evening before the first media had called.
This morning, the media was on the case. The Sun went big and bloody, the Star stuck to the facts. George Lagogianes at CP24 was tough, ahead of the pack, but respectful for the feelings of the victim’s families and for the devastated organizers of North America's largest Caribbean style event. The same can't be said about Global, who, pushed to try and get the head of the parade to meet her at the scene of the crime to talk on camera about the killing, presumably in front of where he died.
I normally don't push back at a reporter's interview request, but to suggest that we stand on the street in front of a chalked outline of body, seemed to me to be ghoulish. The deeply religious executive members of the parade were still in shock over what had occurred less than 24-hours ago. I refused the interview, telling the reporter that we were shocked at her request. She called to say I misunderstood her request. "I am not that kind of reporter,” said Jennifer Palisoc. " I thought you said that you and Chris (the parade's CAO) were on the Lakeshore!"
I hadn't said we were on the Lakeshore (you can read the exchange below) and told her that I didn't believe her when she said she wasn't "that kind of reporter". I declined the interview. But, after an apology I did set up a streeter in front of a floating restaurant on the Queens Quay. The reporter was curt, didn't talk to me nor shake hands with the man she was to interview. However, the taped exchange did sound fair and balanced.
Later in the day, a female CBC TV reporter managed to dig up a number of long-refuted Sun newspaper stories about murder events that had nothing to do with the parade and attempted to link them to yesterday's tragedy. With titles such as the pre-Caribana murder (a young black make is murdered at a church party in another city 2-weeks before the parade), the Caribana murder (a young black mail skips out of the parade with his friends and two days after the parade is beaten and drown by his companions in Pickering) and the Four Seasons Caribana Murders (two black men, suspected crime syndicate drug dealers, are gunned down in Yorkville over the Caribana weekend) this female reporter was trying to get the festival spokesman to link the event to last night's murder.
When it was pointed out to the reporter that she was simply reading out questions about events that she knew nothing about (she had a list of questions that someone else had penned for her) and that the stories had been labeled raciest by journalists including at least one CBC reporter, she told us that she knew all about racism first hand. " I am from Turkey. I am from Muslim. "
To her credit, the reporter agreed that she would read up on the incidents and advise the newsroom of my objections. She reshot the questions. Waiting to she if is thinking locally or acting Globally.
Global TV tries to get the head of the Caribbean Carnival to conduct an interview at last night's murder scene. E-mail exchange in reverse.
-----Original Message-----
From: "Stephen Weir"
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:27:12
To: Jennifer Palisoc
Here is our exchange: show me where I said I was on the lakeshore. You are the one suggesting we go the murder scene -- no alternatives given
------Original Message------
From: Jennifer Palisoc
To: Stephen
Subject: Re: Interview
Sent: Jul 31, 2011 10:10 AM
My apologies. That was not my intent. Where would you like to meet? We can definitely schedule another location.
Jennifer Palisoc
Reporter, Global News
----- Original Message -----
From: Stephen Weir [mailto:sweir5492@rogers.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 09:59 AM
To: Jennifer Palisoc
Subject: Re: Interview
No, to scene of crime (that is really sick-weird). Think maybe we will give this interview a pass -- we don't have the mind set that you obviously do.
------Original Message------
From: Jennifer Palisoc
To: Stephen
Subject: Re: Interview
Sent: Jul 31, 2011 9:39 AM
Okay, we will be there at noon. Shall we meet right on scene of the incident? Thank you.
Jennifer Palisoc
Reporter, Global News
----- Original Message -----
From: Stephen Weir [mailto:sweir5492@rogers.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 09:29 AM
To: Jennifer Palisoc
Subject: Re: Interview
Yes if you would like. Will be at Ontario Place at noon to the end of day. Chris, the head of the festival, is at Fletcher's Field for the carnival rugby match at 1pm. He will return to Ont. Place at 2.30
------Original Message------
From: Jennifer Palisoc
To: stephen weir
To: Chris Alexander
Subject: Interview
Sent: Jul 31, 2011 9:05 AM
Hello,
We arrange an on-camera interview today?
Thanks,
Jen
Jennifer Palisoc
Reporter, Global News
Cutline - crowd scene top
George Lagogianes (CP24) interviews Festival organizer's Chris Alexander and Denise Herrera Jackson about the shooting.
