The Gatekeeper

A Gatekeeper is a term that has been around for years. It originally started out as the obvious, a Gatekeeper. This person's job was to decide what will be let in or out through the gate. Today it has evolved to almost every aspect of everyday life, whether it's coaching a sport, addressing a nation, or teaching people.

Gate-keeping refers to who controls what will be done and not done. Someone decides whether or not a story will be told to the people, and what the people are going to hear and how they will hear it. So in the media industry for example, a reporter decides what aspect of the story will be addressed, a cameraman decides what shots will better describe the story, and an editor decides how the story will be put together and aired.

If a person is filming a documentary in another country and the hardships of the people of that country are caused by say a company or country that the person who is filming the documentary is associated with. They have to decide what should be told.
 Should they leave that part out?
Should they address it and see what happens?
If they tell it could it cost them their job, client/friend, or career?
Would it change the situation in that country if he did tell the truth?
So basically what this person has to decide is if it's really worth it, what they think is right, and what helps them to sleep at night.

In the case that shook Brandon Manitoba back in 2002, the case of Erin Chorney was quite a mystery indeed. She went missing in April of 2002. The last person to see her alive was her boyfriend, Michael Bridges, who she also laid assault charges on, before she went missing. Police had ruled Bridges as a main suspect, but could not find any evidence to prove conviction.

Police developed a plot to obtain a confession from Bridges which took place in 2004. Multiple RCMP officers posed as undercover criminals who loured Bridges into joining their gang, but first he had to confess all his crimes, and the more detail he gave the more 'The Boss' would be impressed.
During the confession, a hidden camera caught the whole thing. The body of Erin Chorney was found by RCMP exactly where Bridges had described it to be.

Michael Bridges was convicted of first-degree murder in June of 2005.

If I was the reporter on this case, therefore I am also the Gatekeeper of this story, I would do a number of things given the circumstances.

First off, this is a hard news story, so its going to be reported not only locally but nationally as well. While I have to deliver the information required and relevant to the story, I must do so with care and sensitivity in mind. Brandon's a small City, so people know other people far better. In addressing this story, respect would be given to the victim pertaining to her family and friends, and being sure to deliver the news while being mindful of their situation as well. Also respect to the offended, even though they may be guilty and the crimes quite gruesome.

When releasing this story, emphasizing will be given on the plan of the operation to get a confession from Bridges, as well as the confession itself, but cut down and censored with respect to the family of the victim. A main focal point will be that justice has been served, and the accused is going to serve a life sentence in jail.

De-emphasizing will be addressed on the specifics of the murder given in the confession, as well as giving a censored bio of the report and people involved, given by the police.

Gatekeeping is the process that outlines what information should be released, regarding the Media Industry.

This story will be either written in a newspaper article and read by read by all who take interest. The story may also released as a newscast, so it should be read by an announcer who presents respect and sensitivity. People that are reading this story are going to be from all over Canada, so not only will Manitoban's be reading the story, but more importantly Brandonites. So again, the story must presented with care and sensitivity to those who know the victim, and especially the family.

So when reporting the story, factors that affect my reporting would be the family and friends of the victim, as well as the specifics of the case.

 A Gatekeeper would filter what will be told in this story, so in this case, those facts you just read are what I would have filtered.

Tell me how you would have reported the story.