Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Programme on cat feeding

Thanks to several people including Aminah and E_Cat for telling me about this programme airing tonight on Channel News Asia at 8:30 pm, called I-Journalist. Apparently the programme is about people feeding cats. The show will also be repeated tomorrow morning at 10:30 am.

One of the journalists contacted me but unfortunately only did so after I had left CWS, and I explained that I could not speak as a representative, and that it was best to contact the Society directly. I did say however that if they needed members of the public to speak in some context, I'd be happy to. I understand the journalist did contact a few animal welfare groups so hopefully we'll see some of that during the programme!

23 comments:

Aminah Bee said...
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Aminah Bee said...
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Aminah Bee said...

There will be a repeat broadcast tonight at 11.32 p.m. Channel News Asia.

"I Journalist" also shown tomorrow Wednesday January 9th at 10.33 a.m.
and Friday 11th January at 5.32 p.m.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dawn,

Sorry didnt know you left CWS till a week ago. To me you didnt just serve for 6 years but thought I know you for a long time when I started cat work (almost 10years already?).

Hey, I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU for all the kindness and assistance you shown during your time with CWS. Will forever be grateful.

Wish you all the best in everything you do....GOD Bless

(THIS IS MY PERSONAL MESSAGE/GREETING TO YOU, CAN DONT PUBLISH.. OH!! HAPPY NEW YEAR)

Dawn said...

Thanks Aminah for that information.

Sorry Stella - this publishes immediately and I can only remove it, which I will do if you like. thanks for the message.

Anonymous said...

lousy show, ignorant so called journalists wasting time on the streets. Why blame the stray feeders, one wrong move her cats can be wiped out by NEA or AVA.

Technically poor, aesthetically weak and should not be on TV at all. Feeding cats do not lead to breeding, people who feed also sterilise, that was not said on TV.

Ignorant comments must be corrected.

Anonymous said...

trashy show, kids need help on how to produce a responsible show, all those ignorant people in the street talked rubbish.

What do they know about feeding? Nothing. Absolutely no need to wait for feeders like she is some freak. Feeders don't go feeding cats because of husband problems like what NANA said. Feeders feed cats because they care about the hungry strays.

Anonymous said...

how i wish u are here today.

Dawn said...

Oh dear - doesn't sound good at all. I was out and missed this. Did any welfare group speak? I do wish the producer had contacted me earlier (I was contacted on 31st December).

Anonymous said...

some kids trying to be journalists so they fumble and then someone from TV station gave some advice on how to do it right...
Poor composition and bad audio, esp interviews.
They said if the feeder was doing the right thing, why must she refused to be interviewed.
Only SPCA and NANAS interviewed.

Dawn said...

Oh dear - that sounds bad and of course caregivers are reluctant to be interviewed for many reasons, including the fact that they're often harassed and bothered because they are feeding, even if they are doing it responsibly. Just because I am doing something responsibly (and I don't know if this woman was) doesn't necessarily mean I want to be interviewed doing it - for example, I may be walking along Orchard road minding my own business. That doesn't mean I want to be filmed doing so.

Aminah Bee said...

Gee Whiz! None of them "inexperience in cats" poly students discussed about stray cats sterilisation
and the program is a major disappointment, not worth watching. Only person talk about stray cats sterilisation
is Raymond Wee of Noah's Ark.
To made matters worse, most of the people they interviewed in the street also don't like cats,
most of them give bad remarks on cats.
For those who miss the lousy program, the repeat program will be shown today at 10.30 a.m. and on
Friday at 5.32 p.m.
or you can video tape the show if you're out on the abovementioned times.

ethantan said...

Terrible show of journalism by students. Obvious lack of research and very one sided. They were advised on journalists' rights but should also be advised on journalists' responsibility. They should watch more news programs like BBC to learn how points/issues are put across and how and when it is necessary to not only respect but conceal journalists' sources.

Feeding stray cats is not illegal, irresponsible feeding is. A lot of misinformation on the public interviewed like spread of disease by cats and cat feeders are generally seen as outcasts in society or people with troubled marriage?? I know quite a number of happily married working professionals who feeds stray cats.

Overall I find the whole show annoying as the students sounded whiny rather than journalism students who are motivated to seek for the truth. Very disappointing.

Dawn said...

I'll need to catch the show (my VCR is on the blink) - sounds like it may have reinforced stereotypes.

auntie p said...

Agree with Eslina about the lack of research. The show wasn't about cats or feeders at all, more about the poly students' project! And the whole issue was very shallowly presented. They gave the impression as if it's very hard to find cat feeders (Haha, are they blind or what?), and called that empty building "cat villa". :P

One of the students behaved like a brat, complaining about the feeder not wanting to be seen on screen, which showed her lack of understanding of the issues involved, lack of empathy and reflection and she sounded like just bec she's a journalist-wannabe, the world owes it to her to do at her prodding.

Raymond Wee's initial comments about bored marriages were queer (???) and implied that...hence the wife decided to go downstairs to feed cats...wa piang! But his subsequent comments about cat feeding were alright.

The other wrong impressions perpetuated was that feeding cats is bad as cats are dirty, unhygenic, and will breed if fed - as was commented by that (Indian?) lady, the Indian man and the Chinese boy. The boy's mother (I think) was more accepting though and said something like cats are part of the landscape. I believe the word sterilisation was mentioned only once during the show, i.e. by the SPCA volunteer (maybe due to poor editing?).

Anonymous said...

Indeed the show was not about cat feeding, it's of a feature on poly students aspiring to be journalists, and the project happened to be about a cat lady.

There was a mentor speaking to them, but more on improving on technical and practical issues. What is lacking and alarming is the human aspect,which will take more time for the students to learn and improve. Hope that they do realize that while on the job they might appear aggressive, that it is within a person's right to decline an interview, that being declined 5 times doesn't mean they can conclude Singaporeans are shy.

Nearly stopped watching long before the Noah Ark interview, was very put off that they protrayed the cat lady like a phantom when they searched for her, and that particular bratty one among the trio.

Dawn said...

True Kaori - let's just say when I knock on doors during Mediation, not everyone wants to speak with me too. I try and explain what I'm doing and most will come to the door but I've certainly had my share of people who refused to come to the door, slammed the door in my face, etc and I wasn't carrying a video camera.

Anonymous said...

kids underestimated the topic on stray feeding and their poor production skill also killed the show.

They interviewed all the wrong people in the streets who have no interest in cat welfare or social issues. Some thought they were being smart by saying animals carry diseases and breeding.

Kids need at least 2 semesters to do an elementary 101 production, It was a horror watching the show.

Aminah Bee said...

The Indian expat guy who commented that cats are dirty,they bring germs, should go back to India where he came from. In India it is worse. Cows free-roaming walking on the streets and the cows defecate everywhere. Yikes! If you don't look properly, you step on cow shit. Eeek! I know because I been in India many times and it is a dirty country!
Compared to cows, at least cats don't defecate on the streets.

Anonymous said...

The man from India should not talk big just because he has a job and a home to return to... if he becomes homeless in India, the cat feeder would feed him. Now he doesn't like the cats and the feeder.

Anonymous said...

seriously, if u guys think its so freaking easy to produce a video, do it yourself. listen to you, all self righteous about cats and such. you sound like such brats. uurgh.

Dawn said...

Anonymous,the people on this programme are putting themselves forward as journalists and hence should conduct themselves as such. This would mean that they should act professionally and in a balanced manner. It's not about whether it's easy to produce a programme - I am sure it is difficult to do so, but no one here is claiming to be a journalist. If we follow your logic, then none of us should have a say in law and order (because we're not police officers), in how our country should run (we're not politicians) or even whether the food we eat is good (we're not professional chefs). Surely if you are supposed to be any one of these professions, then you ought to follow certain guidelines and ethics. It's precisely because I believe in the integrity of the press that a programme like this irks me so much.

Secondly, the programme was unbalanced - and what you term 'self-righteous' behaviour is very much I think is directly in relation to what was seen.

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