Two sides to every story - Unit 11

C2 Proficiency · Multiple Choice Reading · Close-up C2, National Geographic Learning

You are going to read an article about two people in the media. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

A poignant moment when a wrongly convicted man is finally set free. An actor caught in the glare of flashbulbs as he stumbles out of a nightclub. These are the subjects of Lottie Banes and Aaron Campbell – a documentary film-maker and a paparazzo respectively. What connects them is they both work in the media, but that's where any similarity ends. Originally looking to a career in feature films after studying under a famed director, an unexpected turn of events led Lottie to make a documentary and she hasn't looked back since. I ask her why documentaries are quickly becoming the most exciting genre of film-making. "Feature documentaries have become the place for telling in-depth stories, now that traditional journalists are too busy chasing page views," she replies. She has a point. In a previous era, the evening news, the daily papers and the newsweeklies were the main places to get the latest international news of the day, but no longer. The new, gossipy style of TV and print journalism has surrendered the role of serious investigative journalism to documentarians. Traditional media is in a state of fundamental change. Because international bureaus have been decimated, newspapers have been in decline, at least since advertising revenues were wiped out by online marketing sites. The news still needs to be told, so it's now coming to us in a different form. "The information void that has been created is being filled by documentary film-makers around the world," she continues. "Documentarians are the new journalists, not simply because journalism itself is in a state of crisis. The content of documentaries is more gripping than the content of journalism." Anyone who has watched a hard-hitting documentary would agree that they are intense projects. Often fuelled by a passion for the truth and moral outrage, they don't just scratch the surface but rather delve deep into an issue. Documentaries have overcome their old stereotype of being boring films about nature, in large part due to excellent pieces of investigative journalism. This subgenre of the documentary is the most popular and familiar, and deals with important issues and exposés of environmental catastrophes, cover-ups, and the injustices of the wrongly convicted. By approaching these subjects in an impassioned way, documentaries mirror our own reactions to what is happening. We can thus connect with the content in a way that is not possible with traditional media. As Lottie explains, "News that is neutral or seen to be overly objective tends not to leave a strong, lasting impression. A print journalist covering an issue approaches the subject like the proverbial fly on the wall, presenting facts as impartially as possible. A documentarian, on the other hand, approaches the same issue from one side of the argument and with powerful video images to support it. In many ways, this is the opposite of objective journalism, but it's a direct path to the heart of the issue." Such documentaries – the kind that prove a point – have struck a chord with the public, and documentarians are now counted among the great journalists. This can't be said for the paparazzi that hound celebrities. They will likely never join the ranks of the world's great photographers. But then again, that isn't their aim. While documentarians tell us what we need to know, the paps give us what we want to know. As far as Aaron Campbell is concerned, he's providing a community service. He says most people enjoy the photos. "The fact is celebrities have become a guilty pleasure, and I challenge anyone to say they haven't read celebrity gossip or clicked on a story to see the accompanying photos." He may have a point there. Most people would deny taking a discreet peek in order not to be labelled star-struck or worse, mindless. Click rates don't lie – there are figures to show how many views a story generates. And it's the public's insatiable demand for celebrity gossip that keeps the photo agencies in business. So why do the paparazzi have such a bad reputation if they're satisfying the needs of the public? "What they don't like is their perception of how we get the photos," Campbell replies. Paparazzi are known to camp outside celebrity homes, stalk them while they are at lunch and even give high speed chase to snap them. Campbell, however, prefers to drive around the city searching for celebrities instead of 'door stepping' – the term used to describe watching someone's home. "They don't like us, but the paparazzi are a necessary evil," he says. I ask him to elaborate. "Look, the stars can't have it both ways. They need us if they want to remain relevant. They need us in order to stay famous. If they're not in the press, they don't exist. It's as simple as that," he says emphatically. But what about the unflattering photos we sometimes see on the covers of the seedier tabloids? How does it benefit celebrities to be seen at their worst? "It doesn't, and that's not our aim. Ninety per cent of what we photograph, and of what the public wants and buys are happy celebrities looking stylish. Those pictures are what the tabloids want to buy." To drive home the point that he isn't a heartless profiteer, he tells me a story. "I once took a photo of an actor that was really unflattering, but I didn't send it to the agency. He's my favourite; I grew up watching his films, and so I didn't want the tabloids making fun of him based on my photograph." "Probably not offered enough for it," I think to myself, but I comment that it was noble of him. He catches the hint of sarcasm and considers his reply. "Most of them are willing participants, you know. There is a symbiotic relationship between us and them. At some point in most careers, the stars want it and need it. Being compliant with the paparazzi can skyrocket a no-name to fame. Most celebrities who are in the tabloids every week are there by choice. You don't need to feel sorry for them." How long will the adrenaline-filled spying and chasing continue? With the rise of Instagram, celebrities have the power to take the shots themselves. It could be that the days of the paparazzi are numbered, but I keep this thought to myself as I thank him for his time, and leave. I must hurry. There's a great documentary on at the cinema and I don't want to miss it.

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