Vague Bleatings About Courts

In its coverage about the exacting task of court reporting. Salient has chosen to highlight the views of two anonymous persons — both claiming experience in court reporting.

As yet another journalist, I thought the fearless Jon Bowie had something more substantive to offer on the subject. But I notice his contribution was tucked away on the letters page (beneath the picture of the little Victorian bloke labouring over his Greek.)

In most cases an experienced journalist will give more weight and therefore more prominence to the remarks of a source who is prepared to be identified.

By featuring the vague bleatings of two anonymous persons, is not Salient committing the same sin of which the popular press is accused? That of bolstering its own bias about court reportage? Sure, court coverage in newspapers leaves a lot to be desired. But the remedy to a very large extent lies in the hands of the court reporter himself.

He, after all, is the person who in the first instance relays the information to his paper.

If he can't reach the defense counsel to check evidence, just whose fault is it.

Mark Metherell