I FOUND out the hard way that crime beat reporting was not as easy as I first imagined it to be. I learned that it was a 24-hour, seven days a week duty. I was a rookie, and people were skeptical that I could stay on and cover the police and courts.
I remember, too, those times when court clerks were hesitant to show me official court files. They believed that allegations should be fully tried in the courtroom first.
But I’m stubborn. I want to write about victims, abuses, injustice, and the stories behind each tragedy or misfortune. Police reports, fire department emergency responses, court hearings and civil litigations have now become a part of my world.
As a police/court reporter, I gather stories for publication from various sources. These include official reports from the local police department, the fire department, verified court and government documents, interviews with concerned citizens or, in some rare cases, I will stumble upon them purely by chance.
Like an emergency responder, I am in a constant state of alertness for breaking news. I’m always ready to rush to where the action is.
There is that sense of excitement, the adrenaline rush, when chasing a story, and knowing you have a story that no other reporter has.
And because the CNMI is a small community, I have accepted the fact that I will eventually, whether I like it or not, write a news story about a person known to me. It is tough not to be emotional when dealing with sensitive cases, especially if they involve juvenile victims. But I’ve learned to set aside my personal feelings so as to not affect my news reporting.
There is that sense of excitement, the adrenaline rush, when chasing a story, and knowing you have a story that no other reporter has.
I also learned not to be judgmental while reminding myself that most court stories are about allegations that have to be proven during trial.
I have received my share of scorn, criticism and complaints. There were some individuals who angrily demanded a retraction of news stories I wrote. I have received angry threats of lawsuits from some subjects of my news articles. It comes with the territory, I tell myself. I take them seriously, but not personally.
I’m not perfect. I make errors. One time I erroneously identified a father as the defendant in my news story, but it was actually the son who was the accused. They have the same name. The father gave me an earful. I immediately informed our editor, and the online version of the news story was corrected right away, and a correction was printed the next day.
I cannot forget the feeling of that particular mistake. I was overwhelmed with the fear of writing another court story. I was red in the face which felt hot, swollen and then numb.
I feared that everyone was watching or scrutinizing my every move. From then on, I was extra careful with names and made sure that I had official documentation to back up my news stories.
I’ve also seen strange and unusual things as a court/police reporter. But one of the most unforgettable and most bizarre stories I have written was about the death of a 56-year-old contract worker whose remains were mislabeled and misidentified — and mistakenly cremated. The hospital morgue had mislabeled two bodies.
I am also fascinated with how the law affects ordinary citizens. I want to write news stories that highlight due process, and make it more understandable. I also want our readers, especially crime victims, to know where to seek legal remedies.
It would be thoughtless of me not to express my heartfelt gratitude to the former Marianas Variety president, Laila C. Y. Boyer, who gave me the opportunity to be on the MV news team.
She gave me her full attention and support when I was starting as a news reporter. She made sure that I have the right equipment, gadgets and reading materials to assist me in my news reporting.
I was inspired to be a news reporter because of her genuine advocacy for a well-informed CNMI community.
