My night with Newsnight

By Machrine Birungi

I spent the whole of last Friday shadowing Paul Mason, Newsnight’s Business Correspondent, watching him put together a report about aid and debt relief in the run-up to the G8 meeting. It was one of the best journalism experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve only just got round to posting this, as I’m busy trying to get my own stories together now from Edinburgh.

Paul told me that he starts working on a report with a 'mind map' of how it will unfold. As he moves through the day he spends a lot of his time, talking to himself or scribbling. I think he is constantly rehearsing what he has to say.

I can safely say that the way Paul works would really challenge journalists back home in Uganda. Most journalism there is like a PR exercise, but Paul gets much deeper insights by unpicking ideas and personalities.

I’ve often seen journalists in Uganda get their microphone out to interview someone, and then accept the first answer that comes. The journalist fails to push for a punchy statement. Paul stresses that he needs that punchy statement and if it means going through it ten times he will go for it. Paul goes into the story with a deep passion to press for the right and appropriate answers not only for himself but also for the entire audience that will be watching this programme.

For example, he interviews a policy officer from Action Aid, Romilly Greenhill, and zealously tries to get an answer to one question about the role of the NGOs that will be monitoring how the money from the debt relief package is spent in Nigeria. “Aren’t you promoting the new imperialism?” he asks.

When Paul fails to film Blair and Geldof appearing on a live MTV show, MTV let the BBC have tapes of the programme. This would be an unheard-of gesture in Uganda where media houses prefer to keep hold of their own footage in order to scoop all the others.

I get a glimpse of Paul Mason the journalist with a passion for perfection. His art of doing stand-ups is really impressive. He uses all his energy to raise his jaws up and down, using his hands as if to press the point deeper. He articulates a key statement in the report: “Should aid continue to be tied to conditions or is it time for developing countries to decide their own destiny?”

Each person working on the report knows their own role in making it a success. The editors keep a track of Paul’s movements, updating him on the latest developments related to his story, and his producer Yvonne Ndege (herself of Kenyan parents) makes sure that the story is not spoilt because of lack of time or absence of sources.

The success of the report goes beyond the personality of the professional reporter longing for the best, and extends deep down through a line of enthusiastic editors and energetic staff, all striving for a professional and powerful production.  They’re all as interested as Paul in the success of the report. So it’s no surprise that they all sit down to wine and dine after they’ve all watched the programme go out on air.

I really enjoyed my experience with Newsnight. Journalists in Uganda have a long way to go, but I hope I’ll be able to take some lessons back home.

Comments

[Paschal]

i wish such a gesture of perfection could be emulated in uganda. where one does something with "affectionate passion for perfection".
Good piece for taking us where we couldnt reach--- the style.
More pliz.

[Vincent Rwabushagara]

Home gal, keep the stories coming.
your brilliance can still be sieved via the net.
Keep it up.
GODBLESS U.

[Pius Sawa]

Uganda will not regret having sent you there. It is a great challenge to a Ugandan scribe who cannot dig beyond the headlines.

[Anita Precious Ocheng]

good work makrine keep it up.sweet reading!!
if there were nobel prizes for online stories...definately you would not miss one.

[Paul Mason]

Machrine I only just read that after coming back from the G8 early because of the bombs. That is an incredibly kind description of my work: what about all the bad temper, chaos, nearly missed deadlines huh?
Anyway it was a pleasure to have you along - and to meet you all again on the demo - and I hope I can stay in touch with everybody from the Africa Vox team.