Seattle Times reporter on ‘Seniors for Sale’ says shoot video on first interview
Bruises "consistent with abuse" appear on this resident of an adult family home in a Seattle Times video.
In the “Seniors for Sale,” series, Michael J. Berens of The Seattle Times writes about neglect in Washington’s adult family homes, which are private residences with caregivers. He says Washington state has moved hundreds of elderly into these for-profit enterprises from more expensive nursing homes.
His series includes video interviews with the distraught family members quoted in his articles. In one video, he speaks with two women whose mother died after an untreated bedsore left a gaping hole down to her bone.
Today’s Tip: Shoot the video on your first interview, Michael says.
“These are real moments of people telling stories,” he says.
Michael J. Berens
He says people want to share their stories and having the camera there in an unobtrusive way captures the first telling of a story. In the interview with the sisters, viewers see the tears, frustration and anger as they recall the research they did to find a good home and how, despite their best efforts, their mother’s condition went unnoticed. The video ends with a black screen, punctuated by this sentence in white letters: “His home remains open today.”
Often, reporters put in requests for photos and videos after they’ve completed their interviews. With video especially, think about the benefits of capturing sources the first time they speak with you.
Yesterday’s post: Seattle Times’ ‘Seniors for Sale’ finds elder abuse by requesting manuals first: Michael discusses how requesting an agency’s manuals offered a roadmap for Freedom of Information Act requests.
