Television correspondents earn trust not by being first or omniscient, but by reporting what they can verify, using images responsibly, resisting performance and speculation, and putting accuracy before speed. 

Many people think the work of a television correspondent is easy and requires little more than moving from one place to another and standing in front of a camera to report events and developments. This is not true. Appearing on screen is itself a major challenge, and the correspondent must make every effort to convey the picture of an event and the news accurately, quickly and credibly, without making mistakes or slips that diminish professionalism and damage reputation. 

Even so, many Arab television screens feature correspondents who commit professional and ethical errors without accountability. Some causes lie with the correspondent, such as a lack of experience and the absence of professional standards. Other causes relate to media institutions themselves, which fail to provide professional guidance to correspondents, whether when preparing reports or appearing live during major events. Added to this is the rush by many satellite channels to report news quickly in order to win viewers, rather than first ensuring its accuracy and credibility. 

This article aims to identify the most serious mistakes television correspondents make, whether knowingly or because of shortcomings at the institution they work for. 

Words Without Pictures 

Before preparing a report or story, the correspondent should ask: are there enough images available to cover this issue? If yes, proceed. If not, the correspondent should not risk preparing a story that lacks the images which form the basis of television. 

Some time ago, a colleague working in the correspondents’ department of an Arab satellite channel told me a story about one of its reporters. My colleague said the correspondent proposed preparing a story about a traditional custom that had disappeared in his country. When his manager, my colleague, asked how he intended to present the story visually, the reporter hesitated, then said he had found the answer: “We will use old pictures of people practising that custom before it disappeared decades ago.” Beyond the idea's weakness and the lack of relevant visuals, another question arises: why cover an issue its own people have forgotten to the point that it has faded from memory? 

Many people who consider themselves correspondents adopt similar ideas, producing reports that lack images related to the event itself and padding them with footage of streets and passers-by. This is one of the biggest mistakes a television correspondent can make. The golden rule is: if suitable images for the subject being covered are not available, there is no need for the report at all. 

The Know-it-all 

“Abu al-‘Urayf” is a popular term for someone who claims to know everything, pronounces judgment on every matter, and interferes in things that do not concern them. 

The correspondent should always remember that the primary task is to convey events and field observations to the public without inserting personal opinion. The same applies to live coverage, especially during major and sensitive events. In such cases, the correspondent should confine the report to what can be seen directly and what has been obtained from official sources, rather than turning into a political analyst, philosopher or official who claims expertise in every detail. Some time ago, I was watching a correspondent report on the impact of severe weather on a Palestinian satellite channel when he said: “I call on our citizens not to leave their homes because of the accumulation of ice.” At that point, he had shifted from correspondent to public official or police officer, which is not his role. The correspondent made a mistake here, but what was the role of the channel he worked for? Those responsible for him should have warned him and prevented him from repeating it. 

As for a correspondent with long experience, there is nothing wrong with offering an opinion and analysing political events when participating in news bulletins. Years of field and political experience can serve as a qualification in this area. 

Deadly Competition 

Many correspondents make the mistake of prioritising speed over accuracy because of competition with other reporters working for rival satellite channels, particularly during live coverage of fast-moving events. The correct approach is for the correspondent to wait and investigate the story until certain of the truth of everything being reported, even if others publish first. During the tragic case of the Moroccan child Rayan, who fell into a well the previous month and whose death was announced after five days, we saw numerous correspondents on Moroccan and Arab channels reporting developments. At the same time, we witnessed serious errors made by many because of speed and reliance on inaccurate sources, to the point that the world expected Rayan to emerge alive, only to be shocked when his lifeless body was brought out from the bottom of the well. 

This does not absolve correspondents of responsibility, but media institutions sometimes share responsibility for reporters’ errors. Some institutions tend to impose certain information on correspondents during live broadcasts simply because that information is circulating on rival channels. During a live report, a correspondent cannot produce new information beyond what is visible on the ground, especially without a producer supplying the field correspondent with information. In such cases, the newsroom must verify the information. Failure to verify confuses the correspondent and can trap them in errors because of the contradiction between what they see with their own eyes and what the presenter in the studio reports. 

In addition, forcing correspondents to cover events for long hours from the scene can lead many of them into professional mistakes. It is better to allow the correspondent opportunities to gather information from different sources from time to time rather than continue reporting without a chance to pause, breathe and refresh their information. 

Imitation and Affectation 

It is useful for correspondents, especially newcomers, to study the experience of more seasoned colleagues and learn from them, but it is a mistake to imitate them. A smart correspondent learns from others, benefiting from their experiences and mistakes. Another problem some correspondents face is affectation and artificial behaviour, including making movements on screen that are wholly inappropriate. All of this reflects weak personality and a lack of confidence in oneself and in what one is presenting. The viewer is intelligent and can distinguish between a correspondent behaving naturally and one displaying a personality that is not their own. The more spontaneous and natural the correspondent is, the more likely they are to gain the audience’s acceptance and trust. 

Harming Viewers and Victims’ Families 

A professional correspondent avoids broadcasting images of victims, particularly during live coverage, and the more field experience a correspondent has, the more aware they tend to be of this issue. By contrast, those most likely to make the mistake of showing images of the dead and other victims during bombings and wars are journalists who are new to the profession. The spread of citizen journalism through social media has also reinforced this problem, to the point that showing victims’ bodies on television has become normalised. The issue is even more acute on satellite channels that take advantage of the widespread use of smartphones among citizens and broadcast news and images taken from social media without verification. 

Alongside harming viewers, correspondents can also harm victims’ families through the questions they ask them, especially during live coverage, such as asking relatives of a victim how they feel about their loss. What does the correspondent expect in such a situation, that the family will be pleased? 

General Advice 

A good correspondent avoids the mistakes mentioned above and constantly develops professionally by taking part in different media training courses and keeping up with developments in journalistic tools. Routine kills the spirit of journalism and creativity, which can ultimately bore viewers and may even lead the institution to dispense with their services. A good correspondent also updates their methods to keep pace with modern digital media, which has turned many people into citizen journalists who can report news as it happens without falling into the trap of rumours and false news. This in itself poses a challenge to correspondents, who must make considerable efforts to present events and facts from a different and engaging angle without compromising the essence of the truth. 

The broader the correspondent’s knowledge and the stronger their personal relationships with their surroundings, with people and with officials, the better the results they can achieve when dealing with events and developments, including obtaining accurate exclusive news. In this case, they should constantly work on opening channels of communication and building good relationships without allowing those relationships to compromise their professionalism. Many people exploit journalism to build private relationships with officials in pursuit of personal agendas, which affects the way they cover events and damages their credibility. 

Finally, the correspondent must strip themselves of sectarian and ethnic affiliations and remain objective in reporting events as they are, without concealing the truth simply because it conflicts with personal convictions. In this context, the correspondent should, as far as possible, distance themselves from ideologically driven media outlets, because these will first affect their independence and then deprive them of opportunities to develop or move on to better television channels later, regardless of their journalistic skill. 

This article was originally published in Arabic on 22/03/2022