'Always treat all mics as live all the time' is a mantra that would serve people well in their dealings with the media.
Yes, indeed, just as you should lock your front door when you leave your house, but if you don't it doesn't make it OK for someone to walk in uninvited
'Always treat all mics as live all the time' is a mantra that would serve people well in their dealings with the media.
Yes, indeed, just as you should lock your front door when you leave your house, but if you don't it doesn't make it OK for someone to walk in uninvited
Apples and oranges. If you're in a media studio or soundstage, the media is hardly an uninvited guest. If you're in a studio and you don't treat every camera as recording all the time and every microphone as live, then if you're caught saying something that you don't want to get out, you can hardly blame them now can you?
The mic being on and you're actually on screen as its going out is fine. If you believe that the interview has finished and no longer on air, to then keep on recording and then use clip is very underhand and sly. Same with Gordon Brown, he wasn't live, the mic was left on as car was driving away and journos got it, listened to it and aired it after.
The pair involved don't seem bothered, not that Sky would ever apologise.
It's a tough one. Immediately after seeing the footage my feeling was that this was poor journalistic standards by Sky.
However, I have also tried to place myself in the shoes of Sky News editors who were making the decision on whether to broadcast this or not. The conversation is one that I feel is too good not to broadcast and is an agenda setting moment for Sky that will likely play out on the NaT's on BBC and ITV tonight. With that in mind I feel this was too good an opportunity to sit on for Sky but completely understand that it was in poor taste and quite tabloidy.
You should always treat a mic as being live, but normally such a conversation would be considered 'off the record'.
Just like the Gordon Brown incident and the recent eavesdropping on the Queens conversations it's very ethically dodgy and not something I'd be happy to be involved with
You should always treat a mic as being live, but normally such a conversation would be considered 'off the record'.
Just like the Gordon Brown incident and the recent eavesdropping on the Queens conversations it's very ethically dodgy and not something I'd be happy to be involved with
I think the recent incident involving the Queen could be considered differently, considering various broadcasters were supplied with ITN pool coverage video - it's less clear whether the broadcasters or newspapers faced the ethical decision, compared to Sky News here who chose to use and broadcast the audio that they (presumably) acquired innocently, but nevertheless as a result of their own doing/fault. If the comments had been accidentally broadcast live on air, it would clearly be unfortunate but no one would expect Sky or any other journalists to act as though no one had heard it. If Sky at any time realised they were recording this conversation without the politicians permission, I think that's different.
Airing the clip made me cringe-- it all seems very gotcha' and desperate.
Would politicians/newsmakers think twice and pick the (more viewed) BBC News Channel for interviews, especially originating from Milbank?
Besides, what he actually said on an open mike isn't of national importance-- if anything it was a cheap stunt/lurch towards sensationalism on the part of SKY.