I'm embarrassed.
I've just finished watching an iconic South African journalist lose some serious credibility ... publicly ... in my eyes at least. The typically acidic Debora Patta has just anchored an edition of ETVs investigative programme 3rd Degree that took a hard look at South Africa's very own Enron-type scandal ... and she did a piss-poor job.
The current Fidentia saga , and enigmatic boss Arthur Brown, have been at the forefront of reporting in the news for the last few weeks. The problem: a sum of R690bn that is missing. A sum of money that has been invested by organisations who fend for orphans of deceased mine workers, to name but one beneficiary.
Piggy-backing off the recent arrest of Arthur Brown, Patta aired an interview she conducted with the Fidentia boss prior to his arrest. The way she conducted herself in the interview reminded me of a task I gave a class of 15-year olds back when I was an English teacher. The task: stage an investigative journalism interview. With little exposure to the field, the learners threw themselves into the task in melodramatic ways that aimed to implicate and defame their subjects in magnanimous scandals.
It seemed tonight that Debora Patta has failed to progress from her 10th Grade education in how she blatantly attacked Arthur Brown in the worst display of professional journalism I have ever seen - she was defamatory, impatient, and set on trying to get him to admit to being an immoral racketeer.
Come to think of it, I have wanted to slap Patta ever since she was the keynote speaker at my first graduation. I don't have a clue how Brown restrained himself. Before the interview was screened I was anti-Brown just because of the news of the scandal and its far-reaching consequences within the pulse of South Africa. But Patta has displayed an aptitude for getting an audience to feel empathetic towards the accused - it was clearly a course she majored in her flimsy journo-education.
Man alive, Brown kept his composure so well in the face of immature, shallow and bizarre questioning. I found myself liking him - despite his accused misappropriation of funds.
Thanks Debora for showing us how one can blindly lead oneself into a self-career limiting move.
I missed the original interview but watched it online, and thought she did a brilliant job. What's the point of being 'professional' when you're talking to someone who fleeced people of millions by talking a bunch of nonsense. She gave him no time to waffle and cut short his excuses. Not saying that she isn't a little too aggressive in other interviews but on this one, she gets ten out of ten from me. Bravo.
http://www.zoopy.com/video_867_3rd_Degree_Fidentia_Boss_Part1.html
I couldn't agree more. I thought I was the only one who was a little put out. I mean to come across so aggressive is puerile to say the least. Professional journalism is about remaining calm and questioning with end result revealing a common truth. I understand that Mr Brown ruined millions of lives, and in no way am I supportive of his dubious nature, but give the man a chance to say his piece, irrespective of his allegations. Not everything is personal Deborah!
I couldn't agree more. I am in the scientific field by profession and have limited experience / interest in political media. Hence I consider myself to be non-judgemental on journalists and the material / product that they produce... BUT after watching Deborah Patta on 3rd Degree,I cringed at the way she carried herself...even i could see that she was very unprofessional!...I was getting impatient and irritated at her tactless approach in the interview...worse than a bunch of 15 year olds trying to play journo for the first time! After being being exposed to Deborah Patta's mindless and tactless interview, I can only wonder why does ETV keep such uneducated people to represent their channel! If Ruda, Derek and / or Devi had to display the same stupidity on Carte Blanche, I am sure that MNET would have dismissed them asap!!!
It strikes me that a "trial by media" is often not that, but rather it becomes a "sentence by media". The underlying assumption in this conversation and in (s)Patta's interview is that Brown and his cohorts are guilty. Principally, we cannot assume this, although we do. The allegation, and it is only an allegation, is that he "he fleeced" millions and such a charge is difficult to refute.
It is in the wake of this national sentiment that I was impressed with his conduct in the interview - his answers were commercially defensible in terms of business practice.
I have to agree. The interview was a shambles - specifically because of poor preparation, impatience and confused technique. This was as high profile as it gets and the lack of preparation in particular was inexcusable. She simply didn't have the evidence and the tools to crack him open when he stonewalled - hence embarrassingly having to resort to slander and name-calling. She was continually trying to win the "game" with one move, rather than positioning her pieces and creating the optimal platform for an attack. And when she had him rattled (2nd half of the interview - first team rugby claims and UPE fees) she didn't drive the advantage hard enough.
It may be my faulty memory (I've been out of the country for a while) but I seem to remember her as a convincing interviewer. What happened here? Score at the end: Brown 1 - Patta 0.
she conducted the interview very nicely, where is Mr BROWN now?, you people you always 'jump the guns' , she knew her facts before she conducted that interview with Mr Brown and where is fidentia company now? Mr BROWN is a thief and deserve to be panished that selfish guy wonder why he didnt pay his fees and wonder why he 'played' first team rugby.
LET DEBORA DO HER JOB PEACEFULLY COZ SHE KOWS HER JOB BETTER THAN U.
Hi there i have a problem with a car which i bought a year ago, I sold it to a guy 2 weeks ago later on to find out that it's a stolen car? The police came to me to lock me up, then i told them i bought the car last year by a well known car dealer in Parow. The Police then told me that this is a on going problem with that dealer.
I been on several occassions to the Police and everytime they come up with different stories, i then asked them to show me proof that it's a stolen car and they cant show me the proof that i want to see. The car that they say is stolen is a 1997 Nissan Sentra and my car is a 1993 model. I need someone to help me out with this story
I did not watch the interview nor do i know the whole story behind it. I do think that the Debora Patta is an excellent journalist that poses the questions that everyone wants to hear.
This is just a theory but since you are a male, i think you are intimidated by her stature and cant bear to see a woman stand up against another male.
I just watched the interview and this is what I thought.; this guy is clearly lying and attacking her as well. It was her judgement to talk to him like that. I think it takes courage.
Go Deborah! :)
Denver,
I am exposed. You've seen right through me ... and all based on one unrelated fact.
Tonight's 3rd Degree - Pathetic.
Dear Debora, not even sure what mixture of nationality you are. Please tell me how you can relate to apartheid, you seem to have first hand experience. Please don't interview yourself on the show, you are the host. Try to give your guests a chance to speak when you ask them the same question 6 times - You are not a good journalist, you have a poor self esteem.
This has been the rise and fall of debora patta. her interviews have just become pathetic and simply characterised by aggressive beehaviour on her part. She couldn't even handle Julius Malema when interviewing her at the rally, and was left exposed. eTV should fire her.
Post new comment