Christchurch Earthquake: Behind The Seen - by Toby Longbottom

By Toby Longbottom

Taking part in the strange and weird business of producing News and Current affairs is, I believe, a rare privilege.

On a slow news day a newsroom is an interesting place, but on a big news day, on a day like the 22nd of February this year, on a day like that a newsroom is a truly remarkable place.

So on that day, I did an unusual thing for an editor, and picked up a camera. Even more unusually, rather than point it at the world, I trained its lens on the people whose job it is to do the pointing of cameras, my colleagues.

We are an odd group, when all rational and sane individuals are moving away from disaster, we collectively charge towards it, February 22nd was no different. And as the story of the earthquake unfolded on multiple screens in front of us, I admit to my shame that I couldn't wait to get there myself, to see Christchurch with my own eyes.

One of the many benefits of being an editor in the field is the breadth of vision we are afforded. While the journalists, producers and camera people focus on the story at hand, we are able to step back and from a safe distance see the story as it is captured, our eyes; wide angle lenses to the reality unfurling before us.

This then is a loose collection of brief moments that I captured, when time permitted, during our initial coverage of the February 22nd earthquake. I hope it is interesting to somebody, somewhere. It still, for some reason, fascinates me.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• christchurch
• earthquake
• quake
• tv
• news
• campbell live