Getting down with the locals (the vox populi)

One of the best bits about being a journalist is that you can apply yourself to any social situation and pretend to understand the locals. We work for people, because we provide news to people, therefore we must speak to people.

This is particularly true when we go out and do (dreaded) vox pops. Standing outside come hail, storm or snow, for as long as necessary to get enough audio clips for the next few bulletins, to ask any random Tom, Dick or Harry who walks past a slightly personal or stupid question may not sound like fun, but it's an important part of the job.

The vox populi gives a story depth, colour and flavour, but most of all it appeals with the listener. They can relate to it, and if they feature on it, they might get their friends and family to listen to it.

So, here's some of my all time favourites:

Asking men in the city centre of Glasgow “do you wear boxers or briefs?”'

Being told by a chav in Glasgow that I'm a “Fenian” because I clearly support Celtic if I work for Real Radio.

In Castleford after the regeneration of the town centre if they like it being told by a chav “You media lot are responsible for this, you've ruined our town for a bloody TV show.”

In Perth, in response to “Are gangs of children threatening?”, a very posh lady said, “well no, not where I'm from, the children are well behaved. I mean, it's really the lower classes that have to look out for that sort of thing.”

In Perth in response to “did you shop in the Woolworths store?”, a posh lady said “Ugh no, I would never shop in there, nobody does anymore.” followed by (with some nifty editing) “I do, I just spent 40 quid”.

And the all time most interesting 'down with the locals' vox pop experience: asking a lady and her boyfriend in Hamilton if they're worried that two murderers are being allowed to work at the football ground and getting the response, “well, he's been done for manslaughter, he killed his mate, and he's allowed to go wherever he wants. I don't see why they shouldn't.”

Never underestimate a small story

In a tiny little city like Perth, no local news story is ousted because it’s ‘too small’. That would be like the equivalent of a national station leaving out fillers like vox pops, showbiz stories or on a bad news day, stories about interesting weddings.

In fact, interesting wedding stories hit my lead story sometimes, and that can be on a good day.

Common stories for me to cover are missing people, the future of the City Hall, the duelling of the A9 and the plight of endangered wildlife in the area (e.g. squirrels, wildcats).

I have a list of contacts that I pester on a weekly basis to come in for a two-minute interview regarding something really mundane, like the closure of a shop or the state of the doors on a building in town.

My best stories have been pretty insignificant. Armed robberies, pensioners driving over dogs and my personal favourite (see previous blog) Kate Adie visits Perth.

When someone famous visits, it’s a good news day.

Next time you tune in to the radio, hear a story about a charity asking for donations, don’t tut and say “that’s not a news story!” because by god it is, when nothing else is happening.

At least I didn’t cover the story that featured on the front page of the local rag: ‘Woman gets parking ticket.’