Ronke Phillips: Journalist Advises

PHOTO from TVNewsroom

Ronke Phillips is a correspondent for ITV's 'London Tonight'. For more than 20 years she has worked in print, radio and television journalism, including various roles at the BBC and GMTV. She won an Ochberg Fellowships for 2009: participation in a programme to improve her coverage of violent and traumatic events.

Ronke Phillips talks about her experience interviewing and covering survivors (8.4.2010)


If the survivor declines the interview, what should we do?
If an interviewee turns me down I always respect their decision: pushing someone too much can upset them (remember they’re already in a vulnerable emotional state). It can also make them hostile toward you.
I always agree to go away but before leaving give them my card/contact details and ask them to think about it a little and contact me when they’re feeling stronger or change their mind.

What technique do you prefer or advise to build rapport with survivors to interview?
It’s always good to respect and recognise your interviewee’s emotional state by letting them know you appreciate how difficult it is for them to talk about their experience openly. In my opinion this is not a ‘ploy’ it is the truth! They have often lost a loved one in horrific circumstances re-living it all again is often painful but can also be cathartic.



Is it necessary to immediately interview those who have suffered a traumatic event?
Is there ever a good time to interview someone in trauma?
The news business is often a brutal hungry animal. It is about telling people what is happening in the world or their immediate community – good and mostly bad. Different interviews serve different purposes – the thing is not to turn people’s grief into entertainment. The police often encourage families to talk soon after an incident to help with an appeal. The appropriate time to interview someone is when he or she wants to talk!

How do follow-up interviews differ from those done right after an event?
We will often do an interview at the time of murder and then keep in touch for any events the family may hold. So for example the parents of a young aspiring footballer who was stabbed to death two weeks ago in an unprovoked attack are holding a march calling on young people to stop carrying knives, so we will cover that for the. We will then cover the trial and do another interview when the verdict comes in. The problem you tend to have is if you say no to something later down the line because it’s not newsworthy or can’t be done, the family can get cross. It’s sometimes difficult to get the balance right so they don’t feel as though their just being used.

What should reporter discuss with someone before that person consents to an interview?
I try to reassure them that they needn’t be nervous and give them an outline of the kind of question’s I will ask. I never give exact questions because I prefer to have a ‘conversation’ rather than a cold interview.

Is that ok to contact victims or grieving relatives by telephone?
Yes. I don’t think it’s the best way to contact them but handled sensitively it can work as a first introduction.

Do you feel guilty to make your interviewees cry?
NO. Sometimes the interviewee who doesn’t cry is more painful to watch than the one who does. It is not me making them cry it is the memory of their loved one.

If the interviewee starts crying, what should the reporter do?
Let them cry. Don’t ask anymore questions until they’re ready. If they’re sobbing ask them if they want to stop. Use your common sense.

Does dispassionateness help journalists not to be affected by covering a victims’ story?
We have to be dispassionate to a certain extent, dealing with other people’s pain and suffering every day is not easy. However every journalist is affected by the events they cover and occasionally it gets to you, you can’t help it.

Anger drives people to throw rings of protection around victims, defiantly shouting off or closing out the circling reporters. How for journalists not to become scapegoats for the discomfort that ensues from exposure to tragedy?
There is no effective protection. When people are angry the best thing is to go away until they calm down or try and reason with them.

What happens when a reporter becomes emotionally involved in the victim's story?
This is a very good question. Occasionally you’ll really get on with the relatives of a murder victim and do every thing you can to help them-even when the camera stops rolling. If their loved one was murdered at home and they live in a council/state property you may try and help them get moved by doing a story on their plight. You may then go onto to help them with other things. You then find yourself talking to them on a more general basis. The problem is they are not friends but you realize they have started to lean on you. When the time comes to break the relationship it can be quite painful for both sides. This is really something to guard against if you can.

How to deal with editor, who told TO GET that interview?
I am fortunate enough to be at a stage in my career where I am trusted to know when something is going to work or not. For someone young and experienced this is more difficult. I would never recommend saying ‘no’ to your editor but if it’s a no-go you have to accept you’ve failed.

Is it it's important to show people real images? Do some issues you have to upset people about?
It is important that viewers are not shielded from the ugly things that are happening in the world. Sometimes people only believe certain atrocities are taking place when they see the proof.