Brave Local Reporter Refuses to Be Silenced in the Face of Big Pumpkin
Being a good reporter often means pissing off the very person you're attempting to interview—you try to keep it civil, but sometimes, the situation spirals out of your control. When an establishment menace in a festive outfit attempted to silence a New Hampshire TV journalist last night, he handled it like a pro.
Jared Goodell of New Hampshire's public access Cheshire TV was reporting on the scene of the Keene Pumpkin Festival—near an out-of-control college party and police response that led to dozens of injuries and arrests—when festival coordinator Ruth Sterling caught wind that his segment might cover more than just the festival's family-friendly atmosphere. At the beginning of the clip above, Sterling can be seen attempting to steal Goodell's microphone.
After some bobbing and weaving on both sides, Goodell handed her the mic. From NECN:
"This is a family-friendly event. The footprint of Keene Pumpkin Festival is 100 percent safe. We have a bigger crowd than we've ever had. I want them to have a wonderful evening and not be disturbed by people who aren't even at the pumpkin festival," said Sterling after reaching for the microphone. "So if you think that inciting these people is a good idea, I am going to pull the plug on you. Because you are here as a guest of Keene Pumpkin Festival and I assigned you this spot."
Throughout the ordeal, the reporter remained firm, refusing to cave in to the organizer's attempts at intimidation. "When you report the news, when you report the reality, the people in charge want to shut you down," he says near the end of clip. We need more journalists like Jared Goodell.