BRIGID 2 - MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Media Watch would like to thank Express photographer Roberto Codallo for his explanation of why he did not have a single published shot of the AG as she was being attended to at St Joseph's Convent on Friday (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161262933).
But it seems to us, Express, that your photographer was not as on top of the assignment as perhaps a reporter may have been (even though Juhel Browne wrote the lead story, there's no indication he was actually at the event as his story relies heavily on the press conference with the Information Minister).

The photographer had several missed opportunities.
1. "...had taken photographs of Annisette-George as she took to the podium (front page shot). He then went outside for a moment."
What were you doing outside when the incident occurred? What was so important that you could not sit through the speech?
And your moment seemed to drag on because the AG had time to make several points - "She appealed to the girls, among other things, to show respect for themselves during Carnival." (http://newsday.co.tt/news/0,71287.html) - before her fainting spell.

2. '"I just happened to look inside and I saw people by the podium. I went back outside and saw a couple of teachers rushing with glasses of water to the podium," Codallo said.'
Why did you go back outside without first trying to get a shot of the action inside?
So your instincts didn't kick in and tell you to get a shot even of people bending over her while she sat on the floor or wherever she was, get a shot of the commotion, a shot of the teachers with the water, even a shot of an empty podium to try to tell your story?

3. "Codallo said he then tried to gain a proper vantage point to get photos of Annisette-George being taken out of the school. Some minutes after Fitzgerald Hinds came outside and spoke to me...".
Minutes went by and what were you still doing outside, without a single shot? You said later that Mr Hinds blocked your view of the AG by placing his hand over the camera lens and standing in front of you.
So his hand was there from the moment she fainted to the moment her car went out of sight up the street?

Mr Codallo is quoted as saying "...the school hired him (Hinds) as a security now that he is not in Parliament...".
Well Media Watch would suggest that Mr Hinds deserves a raise for doing a damn good job of providing security. You tried to make him look bad, but you raised questions about your own work ethic.
You don't even have a single published shot of his hand over your lens or of him trying to block you to prove your point.
If you have the shots, why weren't they used?

Juhel Browne we can't believe your superiors made you write that story and you agreed to do it.
You should have just left us with the single shot on the front page of the AG taking the stage.
It would have left us with some questions, but now we have many more questions than answers.