A rail firm has apologised to a regional daily reporter after forcing him to destroy video footage of police arresting two protesters.
Alex Evans of Sheffield daily The Star filmed the arrest of two men, aged 64 and 65, who were taking part in the Freedom Ride, a protest against cuts to free travel provision for pensioners and disabled people in South Yorkshire.
According to a report in the paper, Alex was threatened under anti-terrorism laws by staff of Northern Rail, which prohibits filming on station property without prior permission.
Last night the company admitted the actions of its employees had been wrong and apologised to Alex.
The apology followed an incident on Monday when Alex was ordered by the official – who he initially thought was a police officer – to delete footage he had taken while covering the protest at Sheffield railway station.
He was filming the protest – and the arrest of two pensioners by the British Transport Police – when he was approached by an official in a blue uniform who ordered him to stop filming with his mobile phone, and to delete the footage he had already taken.
Said Alex: “He said it was an offence under the Terrorism Act – an arrestable offence under the Terrorism Act. To me he was threatening to arrest me.”
“I felt intimidated when threatened under terrorism laws. I know that ordinarily I would need permission, but this was an extraordinary situation and in my view, one which was my duty and in the public interest to report on.”
A Northern Rail spokeswoman confirmed that the man who approached Alex was a member of one of its Rail Response teams.
She said: “Following an incident at Sheffield station on Monday, we are supporting the British Transport Police investigation, which will include speaking to those involved.
“We know the officer in question was incorrect to delete the phone footage and we are re-briefing our Rail Response Team to ensure this does not happen again. We apologise to Mr Evans for the events that occurred.”
Earlier, the firm had said: “Members of the media must have written permission from the train operator which manages the station before undertaking any filming on station property. Under no circumstances are Northern Rail employees to be filmed without prior agreement.”
The Star’s editor James Mitchinson described what happened to Alex as “absolutely unacceptable.”
“We have a right to report the news, and the Star will always fight for that right. Our readers expect nothing less. But this case illustrates just how difficult it can be to report the news, on the spot when, increasingly, authorities are seeking to ‘manage’ it,” he said.
“We’re well aware that Sheffield Station is, like all stations, technically private property, and ordinarily we’d need to seek permission to film there.
“But this wasn’t a PR stunt, it was an extraordinary event that couldn’t have been predicted and it was very much in the public interest that people were made aware of what was going on. As the local paper and website that’s our job, and it’s a job that people expect us to do.”
A spokesman for British Transport Police said that the incident would be investigated:
“A number of separate incidents arising from these arrests, and involving police, have been brought to our attention. We are in the process of fully investigating these and will speak to all those involved,” he said.
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This is what happens when a reporter tries to do a photographer’s job.
Any snapper worth their salt would have told these clowns to Foxtrot Oscar (in the nicest possible way of course).
You never, ever, should be made to erase anything without a court order, or your boss’s say so… simple.
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All he had to do was leave when asked – without deleting anything!
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You wouldn’t find this kind of thing happening on The Cornishman, where “photojournalists” are all the rage these days…
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Sadly, this is what happens when untrained staff are sent out;not seasoned professional photographers, but of course they tend to cost more..so that’s why they have been axed…….
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Come on- not even real police can ask to or delete images without a court order.. since when did, even the regional press,acquiesce to dumbass wannabe pseudo cops? Having been threatened by the very best worldwide, I’m amazed at the loss of testicular power of journalists today. They touch my camera they get floored- end of. You will have to kill me or drag me kicking and screaming to get my footage. FFS …
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What the f@ck do they teach these kids for their journalism degrees????
Sadly for this kid he missed the best opportunity he will ever get in the business. Had these buffoons actually tried to arrest him and confiscated his phone he would have been a household name by the end of the week…. sorry you missed the boat kiddo.. off you go to PR
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Let us be fair to the lad. He was showing his initiative in grabbing the pictures but I agree this is what happens as a result of this blood-lust on the part of proprietors to axe photographers. No reporter, however good he may think he is as a snapper, can ever replace the professional in most news situations. Multi-tasking is OK in some situations but generally it leads to the further erosion of standards in the regional press already battered by savage staff cuts, closed offices replaced by park benches and circulations in free-fall!
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The authorities concerned have apologised: they, at least, know the lie of the land and that they seriously mishandled the situation. Unfortunately, the reporter has failed miserably in his duty here – if you find yourself in circumstances like that, get arrested. Simple. Then watch the authorities squirm as their position collapses back at the station, office or wherever they take you. Yes, it takes nerve, but then that’s the job. A very bad precedent that will encourage other control freak organisations to try it on when they have no right to do so.
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Seems to be a slight lack of understanding of modern technology for the word ‘destroyed’ to be used. It wasn’t film he was shooting on…
Deleting photos and footage does not erase them permanently, it simply tells the camera/phone/whatever that area of the memory card is ready to be overwritten.
In most cases deleted files can be recovered, even with free software off the net like Recuva.
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Why oh why did he delete the footage???
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Speaking as someone who was “arrested” several times by the real police while reporting on the miners’ strike, I share the concern about today’s young journos and their apparent lack of legal knowledge/determination.
It’s often said that when you put someone in a uniform you make them believe they can do whatever they like. Thankfully, our judicial system does not agree with that (most of the time).
On one occasion, I was taking a picture of a railway station facade when some jobsworth tapped me on the shoulder and said: “You can’t do that.”
My response was: “Just watch me” (or words to that effect).
By the way, chrisjourno,Bristol, love the reference to “testicular power.” Sums it all up nicely.
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I’m assuming the posters here all entered journalism with a wealth of experience and impeccable judgement.
This reporter’s a new byline in The Star so I’m guessing not very experienced. But being threatened by authority figures is intimidating (I’ve been there) and its easy to criticise inexperienced staff in hindsight.
But what’s he done that’s so bad? The rail firm has been made to look like the bully it was, The Star has now had three bites at the story, the original arrests (with video footage on the website), the Evans follow up then the apology.
I don’t think the protest group at the centre of this story will be criticising him, he’s brought fresh attention to their situation and his treatment may well be quoted in the defence/mitigation when those charged get to court.
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Stillclingingon I think you miss the point. I wish the best of luck to anybody daft enough to become a journalist in these tough times. But experience doesn’t come into it. Newly qualified journalists these days should be far better trained than journalists have ever been.They have been through degree courses for three or four years and should have a good working knowledge of the law. If not somebody has failed. The other point is that any fledgling hack, with any sort of instinct for the job, would have got himself arrested. It is also significant that it was thanks to a member of the public that the incident was properly recorded. Journalists, of course, have no more rights than other members of the public.
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Journalists with cameras! Makes me sick. Deserved all he got! Photographers being axed and journos never lifted a finger to support them! NUJ is a complete joke!
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I would hate the myth to be established that “anti-terrorism laws…prohibits filming on station property without prior permission.” as reported above.
The law does no such thing. It does make illegal photography or filming that is part of preparing for a terrorist act (and more) – but that is not going to be the case for just about any filming or photographing on a station.
So it is not illegal to film/photograph in places like shops, stations, factories etc. – just be prepared to possibly be thrown out by the property owner for doing this.
In addition, I’m disappointed that the journalist may not have realised that he wasn’t talking to a cop. I know many council wardens, security guards etc. wear uniforms that make look like such, but a journalist really has to be able to determine the real thing – and then ignore the cop as well when they are making up the law on the spot.
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Chrisjourno:
Points gained for “testicular power” sadly lost for “even the regional press”, which comes across as rather patronising.
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No doubt he was not even carrying an accredited (NUJ) press card…perhaps just an “identity card” from his employers….
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As a last of the breed staff photographer,i know my time is not long,have been on jobs where reporters start to film with camera phone and as soon as a PCSO officer says stop, they apologise,and walk away, it makes me sick..if any official asks me to stop, it then becomes a game to make sure i get the shots..so in the very near future all staff snappers will prob be gone,then what…no snatch pix or crash scene/ images, as the hapless young reporters stand well away…..
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In my day if there was no photographer there you had permission by proxy from your employer and staff/freelance photographer to take snaps. It was us ‘all in it together,’ attitude to get the story by hook or by crook. I was trained in law as a journo too but the young journos of today can just do a work experience week from school and get a job when they leave. The NCTJ courses can be done on the job. Which sounds as if it would work but a thorough training of all the aspects of journalism has to be taught first before you are let loose on the public? This might be a case in fact? Even shadowing at least an experienced journo would help? The NUJ are like a lion without teeth as they did a ‘look the other way ‘when photographers were fighting for their rights. It was the same when i worked in newspapers. If a young, wet behind the ears, graduate did the job cheaper, experienced journos got ditched. I was one of them.
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Let’s look at ths again. Rooms full of journalists outraged at the poor treatment of a journalist. It’s not quite the same as the hundreds of journalists locked up in the Middle East for doing the same sort of thing, is it?
Besides, the look at the actual story ‘police arrest two protesters at station’. Boring! It was hardly worth the effort.
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