A television cameraman is drawing public attention to the plight of an important sector of the local media that is regularly overlooked and ignored yet plagued with issues.
Gregory Hamilton who is a Cameraman/Videographer for Choice Television spoke to The VOICE about an incident that occurred which has left him worried about his life being snuffed out.
He also took the opportunity to advocate for due attention to be paid to him and his fellow cameramen in the local media as they have been ignored for too long.
The incident he spoke of took place last week Monday at around 1:00 p.m. during his usual assignments in and around the city centre.
Hamilton said it was after one interview, he proceeded to take footage of the building place that he was featuring in his report: “I pointed my camera upwards and this young man walked by and started telling me that I had better not put him on TV etc. My camera was pointing upward so it wasn’t actually capturing people walking below. It was focused on the building and its sign. It clearly was not affecting him or anyone else passing. So I started wondering what was his problem and what was he talking about because he was not even my subject and again, I was in a public place…anything that’s in a public place, I can film it so since I was not infringing on anyone’s rights and going into people’s houses, I was doing my job.”
Hamilton said this was when the young man became irate and began hurling threats and obscenities at him.
He said although a colleague who was with him at the time was worried, he decided to ignore the young man’s rants and left as soon as they were finished collecting footage.
The following day, on his way home in New Village, Hamilton said he had another encounter with the same young man who went on to verbally abuse and once again threaten to shoot him.
At this point, the cameraman said he began to question what he had done to aggravate the young man in this way.
He said: “Although I live in the ghetto, none of the guys in the area interfere with me because once I pass by, I greet the guys and they greet me back. They always call me ‘Choice’ and ask me how I’m doing, but to have this young man come at me all of a sudden was troubling.”
Later that same evening whilst watching cricket with some friends in the area, Hamilton said the same young man passed by and said: “I have the gun”
Hamilton went on to ask: “As a cameraman, with the kind of crime we have in St. Lucia, what do I do? Do I take it lightly? What do I do? Is it a real threat? Should I just let these words fly by just like that? Or should I wait to be a statistic…another victim? Who knows?”
Hamilton said he sprang into action and immediately alerted his Supervisor at Choice Television, and shortly after, he alerted the President of the Media Association of St. Lucia, Clinton Reynolds, who advised him to make an official report to the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.
The cameraman said whilst he wanted to raise awareness about his situation, he also wanted to shed some much needed light on an issue that he said exists but is barely acknowledged.
Hamilton said whilst there is plenty of focus on journalists and their well-being, hardly anyone pays attention to or even remembers the existence of cameramen who in his opinion are just as important as the journalists reporting.
He said: “We cameramen, go through a lot. For example, you go to the scene of an accident and there is blood, carnage and death all around…who takes the footage? Who records all the blood and body parts? The cameraman! You go to a chopping incident, who takes the footage? The cameraman! The same goes for suicides and the discovery of decomposing bodies. All those responsibilities fall on the cameramen and sometimes the reporters are not even around because they don’t want to see. And then in the end, there is no counselling for us. We go through al these things whilst the police, the firemen and the EMTs have counselling.”
In terms of being in dangerous situations, Hamilton said he has been shot at and was unable to stand and testify in court as he was not willing to put his life in danger: “It’s not easy for cameramen out there. Our job is not easy! We get the threats all the time yet people just take us for granted. We get the plocks and the kalots. Some people try to punch you or push at the camera. After a while, you get used to it and even respond to them in the same manner that they addressed you but you eventually learn to do your job and get out of there.”
Hamilton said whilst he thinks measures should be put in place to safeguard cameramen, cameramen should actually safeguard themselves by minding their own business. He went as far as to say that a Cameramen’s Association was needed.
Since the incident, Hamilton said he has had support from residents in his neighbourhood and he has also made an official police report.
This is the power of the gun in the hands of illiterates and semi-illiterates. It makes them feel all powerful and a sense of being big decision makers. You did the right thing. Until the authorities truly understand the effects of illegal firearms in small societies, we will be faced with such situations. There should have been draconian laws passes YEARS ago to contain illegal firearms. Needless to say, those laws are working in many countries….as I write.