Chris Gelken has nearly 20 years experience as a photographer, writer, news editor and broadcaster.

For the past 11 years Chris has been based in Asia where he now works for Hong Kong's leading AM radio news station, Metro Plus.

Chris also contributes freelance material on a wide variety of topics to newspapers, magazines and radio networks internationally.

Around the newsdesk

I don't know who first said it, but it is quite true. If you tell a lie often enough it sort of becomes the accepted truth. Around the newsdesk we all do our own fair share of writing scripts for the next bulletin -- sometimes I'll do a complete newscast without reading anything I have written myself. To avoid duplication of effort, we keep each other informed of the stories we are working on.

Earlier today one of my colleagues sang out to our small and very select group that he was working on a piece about U.N. Special Envoy Jamsheed Marker going to Indonesia and East Timor.

"And for crying out loud," I responded, "don't describe it as the disputed territory of East Timor."

"Why is that?" he asked, innocently.

"Because bloody Indonesia invaded the territory, massacred a whole bunch of people and despite United Nations resolutions ordering them out, they are still there. As far as I am concerned, there is no bloody dispute. The situation is very cut and dried. Okay?"

"Er, yeah, fine. Anything else while you're at it?"

"As a matter of fact there is. Your piece earlier on the re-burial of the Tsar of Russia and his family. You said they were executed."

"Yes, that's right."

"Was Lincoln 'executed' - no he was assassinated, or if you like, murdered, but no way was he 'executed' - have I made my point?"

You know how it is? Sometimes one gets out of bed the wrong side and, well, that's it for the rest of the day. But I get so upset when presented with 'facts' that are really just convenient interpretations of events.

But the day wasn't a totally serious bust. We enjoy humour, and trust me, there is a lot of unintended humour even in the most serious of news stories. I don't mean the gallows humor that all journalists acquire over time, but the... well, I'll give you an example.

The World Bank has hired independent auditors and economic snoops to ferret out the corrupt dealings of some of its officers. Bank president, Jim 'Wolfie' Wolfensohn says the institution has to hold itself to the same high anti-corruption standards it expects of borrowing countries! What the heck has that guy been smoking?

While we are on the 'unbiased and objective' issue, one of our local legislators came out with a corker today. A committee has been set up to investigate the fiasco at Hong Kong's new airport. This bright chap wants a guarantee that the committee will have unfettered access to any witness or documents it considers necessary to conclude its investigation and bring the culpable parties to their just deserts. Whoa, do we really want a Ken Starr carnival in Hong Kong? Where will it all end? Will we learn that Chief Executive Tung ordered the airport open before it was ready because he was distracted by something else?

I don't want to know. Really I don't. The very thought gives me the shudders.

Chris Gelken
17 July 1998
Hong Kong