Never underestimate the power of a news story
Despite what may be an impression to the contrary, I’ve been literally dragged through a hedge backwards just the once.
It happened about 16 years ago when as a younger and braver reporter than I am now, I decided that the ideal vantage point to take photographs of riot police and anti live animal export protesters was between the two converging groups.
So I have physically experienced the powerful emotional impact that live animal exports can have on the public.
And I’ve watched with fascination as a single investigation into live animal exports for Four Corners on the ABC little more than a month ago swiftly triggered a huge story here in Australia.
If ever you doubted that journalism can still set the agenda, then that’s the evidence.
Perhaps the difference this time round though is that social media means there is no need for a physical mob for public opinion to have a direct impact on public policy.
The protests I experienced all those years ago were in the port town of Shoreham in the UK.
For months, police did physical battle with mild, middle class protesters, who in the minutes while the lorries went through turned into violent anarchists.
The first night the convoy arrived, there was a shocking moment when a balaclava-wearing protester leaped onto the roof of the lead lorry and smashed the windscreen. Before you knew it, people were lying in front of the wheels of the lorries.
Police lost control, and after a frenzied couple of hours, the lorries turned back.
I’d popped out of the office for what I’d expected to be a quick look, completely unprepared for the sub zero temperatures. I stood in a call box phoning over my copy for the first edition with my hands so cold I couldn’t turn the pages of my notebook. It was one of the most miserable – and exhilarating – moments in my journalistic career.
The arrival of the convoy – and the accompanying protests – quickly became a daily occurrence.
And this is where, with the benefit of hindsight, I wonder about the role I – and the local newspaper I worked on – played in giving life to the protests. We reported it day after day, and by continuing to put it at the top of the agenda, I’m sure we gave fuel to the protests.
Looking back now, the main voices we featured were the protesters. The farmers trying to make a living, and the port staff caught up in the middle but demonised by the protesters, had far less of a say. I’m not sure that our coverage was as balanced as I thought it was.
Local farms – and even one of the pubs where a farmer drank – were firebombed. Port staff had their homes and cars attacked.
Of course, that all might have happened anyway if it hadn’t remained in the headlines, but I suspect it would all have fizzled out more quickly.
Happily, there’s been none of that violence following the Four Corners report here in Australia. The government recognised the political grenade early on and moved to ban the exports to Indonesia. (And this week unban them as public opinion turned again).
The immediacy of public reaction via the likes of social media – along with the mood on talk radio – helped influence both decisions, I’m sure.
And mob rule on Twitter is a lot less violent than actual mob rule.
But I wonder if there is one parallel with the Siege of Shoreham.
With herds in crisis – and facing mass culling – many now face lost livelihoods despite the government’s latest U-turn.The story has now moved on to herd loss and the mental health of farmers facing ruin.
I’m sure that was an unintended consequence of the journalists involved in May’s fine piece of reporting.
But sometimes a story is so big, that once it’s in the public domain, there’s no telling where it’s going to lead.
Tim Burrowes
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Well said Tim. Just, well said.
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Too many unsustainable cows in one place at one time.?
Too many incoming financial migrants wanting support.
Too many jobless olds cluttering society.
Too little forethought about the future.
Power to the people ? is it really the answer.
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thanks jean cave, you’ve left us many important things to ponder.
Very nice piece Tim. We’ve got to know you better and it’s good to see journalism get a run, just as PR has of late.
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its was a really stupid, knee-jerk reaction to the problem however. By cutting off imports we give up all influence and ability for change..
If instead we had placed a time-based ultimatum- something along the lines of “if you dont start using stunguns within two months and transfer to humane standards we will cancel all imports” we would have actually had a chance to change things for the better…
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