Chequebook journalism
Encyclopedia
Chequebook journalism is the form of journalism
where the essential characteristic is that the journalist pays the subject of the work money for the right to publish his story.
The phrase "chequebook journalism" is often used pejoratively, with the suggestion being that stories obtained by paying people are not so worthy as those obtained by traditional investigations.
In Australia
chequebook journalism is viewed as a symptom of the fiercely competitive commercial television industry (most notably amongst current affairs programs). In the UK the print media uses it extensively, due to its geographic layout being conducive to the distribution of newspapers .
The rescue of the Australian miners in the Beaconsfield mine collapse
renewed public awareness of chequebook journalism, as the TV networks and their stakeholders bid for the exclusive rights to the story as told by miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb, who were trapped underground for 2 weeks.
In North America
, paying money for interviews, although not necessarily illegal, is generally frowned upon. However, major media outlets in the United States
will sometimes attempt to get around these standards by paying licensing fees for the rights to photos or footage (such as home video) relating to the subject, or paying for expenses such as flights, in conjunction with an "exclusive" interview.
Examples of other cases involving chequebook journalism include:
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
where the essential characteristic is that the journalist pays the subject of the work money for the right to publish his story.
The phrase "chequebook journalism" is often used pejoratively, with the suggestion being that stories obtained by paying people are not so worthy as those obtained by traditional investigations.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
chequebook journalism is viewed as a symptom of the fiercely competitive commercial television industry (most notably amongst current affairs programs). In the UK the print media uses it extensively, due to its geographic layout being conducive to the distribution of newspapers .
The rescue of the Australian miners in the Beaconsfield mine collapse
Beaconsfield mine collapse
The Beaconsfield Mine collapse occurred on 25 April 2006 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia. Of the 17 people who were in the mine at the time, 14 escaped immediately following the collapse, one was killed and the remaining two were found alive using a remote-controlled device...
renewed public awareness of chequebook journalism, as the TV networks and their stakeholders bid for the exclusive rights to the story as told by miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb, who were trapped underground for 2 weeks.
In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, paying money for interviews, although not necessarily illegal, is generally frowned upon. However, major media outlets in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
will sometimes attempt to get around these standards by paying licensing fees for the rights to photos or footage (such as home video) relating to the subject, or paying for expenses such as flights, in conjunction with an "exclusive" interview.
Examples of other cases involving chequebook journalism include:
- the Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
paying Lindy ChamberlainLindy ChamberlainAlice Lynne Chamberlain-Creighton was at the centre of one of Australia's most publicised murder trials, in which she was convicted of killing her baby daughter, Azaria. The conviction was later overturned.-Early life:...
$250,000 for the exclusive rights to her story - the Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
paying Stuart DiverStuart DiverStuart Diver is a ski instructor and was the sole survivor of the 1997 Thredbo landslide.At 11.35pm on 30 July 1997, 3500 tons of rock and mud slid down the side of Thredbo taking two ski lodges with it. The landslide killed 18 people, one of whom was Diver's wife, Sally...
$300,000 for his story about the Thredbo landslide - the Ten Network paying Douglas Wood $400,000 for his story about being kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq
- David FrostDavid FrostSir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
paying Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
$600,000 for his storyThe Nixon InterviewsThe Nixon Interviews were a series of interviews of former United States President Richard Nixon conducted by British journalist Sir David Frost, and produced by John Birt. They were recorded and broadcast on television in four programs in 1977... - the Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
paying solo yachtsman Tony BullimoreTony BullimoreTony Bullimore is a British sailor from Bristol.He is most famous for being rescued during the 1996 Vendee Globe single handed around the world race. The race was marked by a number of incidents including the death of another contestant, Gerry Roufs...
for his story about being trapped in his overturned vessel in the Southern Ocean http://www.theage.com.au/news/iraq/chequebook-hostage/2005/06/21/1119250935551.htmlhttp://outside.away.com/outside/magazine/0198/9801ocean.html. - GizmodoGizmodoGizmodo is a technology weblog about consumer electronics. It is part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton and is known for its up-to-date coverage of the technology industry, along with topics as broad as design; architecture; space and science....
.com, an online technology enthusiast news website, paying an anonymous source $5,000 USD for providing a stolen prototype of the next generation iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.