reporting he doorstep


had come about their son who had been killed in a car accident. They were keen to get


publicity for their son’s inquest and it ended up a page lead in the Daily Mail. Challand uses her


“Journalists need to be able to look


people in the eye, to really listen and to carry the weight of that


responsibility in how they tell the


experience to teach journalism students at the University of Worcester and says the majority of young people are now less willing to engage in conversation than they are to reach out digitally. Lisa Bradley, professor of journalism at the


University of Sheffield agrees. “We were getting feedback from editors


worried about the fact that trainee journalists were coming to jobs saying ‘I’m not going to do that door-knock because it will be bad for my mental health’,” she says. “Without sounding harsh, it’s not about your mental


health – it’s about giving people a voice they might not otherwise have. You’re denying people the right to have their stories heard.” The curriculum now includes a module on confidence and imposter syndrome which Bradley says has made a ‘huge difference’. Bradley says the advice and training on door-knocking has not changed. Students are taught about ethics and get real-life experience approaching people after court cases to see if they want to do a victim-led piece. “While I totally appreciate that some would


say that contacting families via social media could be seen as less intrusive, I don’t agree,” says Bradley. “First of all, I don’t think you’d get a reply and, a lot of the time, when people are in trauma and in shock, they’re not going to be checking their social media. If you wait to go through the police press office and family solicitors, you’re going to get a much more watered-down, censored and sanitised version of the story.” Although having a law firm or press office to field calls can help, many journalists believe that initial face-to-face contact is still the best way to build trust. And, for many, that starts on the doorstep.


“Learning how to speak to people face to face, to read them and adapt in the moment is at the heart of journalism,” says Hamilton. “Approaching families through social media or email


might feel safer but, to me, it reduces that person and their grief to little more than click bait. You lose the humanity.”


NED JOLIFFE


story. The landscape has changed but that skill is more vital than ever.” Jane Hamilton, former tabloid reporter


Human with humility


Show respect Former tabloid reporter Jane Hamilton says: “The biggest lesson is to be human first and a journalist second. Knock with respect. Introduce yourself honestly. Never force a conversation. Listen more than you speak. Some people will slam the door, some will lash out but don’t take it personally. And, when someone does choose to talk, remember they are trusting you with something precious.” Hamilton’s advice to younger journalists is “leave your ego on the pavement, go in with humility, and let the person guide the conversation”.


Face up to fear Freelance journalist Christine Challand urges young trainees to speak to people face to face. “It may be a cultural or confidence issue, but they have to learn to lose this fear of face-to-face communication not just in the job but in life,” she says. “Even if it’s ‘no comment’, you have a valuable line for your story.”


For advice on ethics, privacy, and intrusion into grief, see www. NUJ.org.uk and www.Ipsos.com


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