Reporters on Galton

ThinksMarkedly wrote:As for real-time updates, I gave a logical answer: it shouldn't matter if they get real-time or time-delayed. They're also in the middle of nowhere, so there's no time factor involved either. Plus, all their communications will go through the fleet anyway. They will have time to review and re-review their own material in the weeks it will take for their material to be seen by the public. In that sense, Audrey is not getting the drop on anything: the Serisburg Evening Herald's report will come out at the same time as hers (or at least they will be sent by courier from Galton at the same time).

But I failed to account for the illogical, sentimental human nature: reporters may have wanted it ASAP anyway.

Are you one of those people that can get as excited when watching the highlights of a game involving your favorite team as you are when watching that team play out a game on the field? Particularly when you have a rough idea of how the game turned out (as you would in the aftermath of a battle).

tlb wrote:Are you one of those people that can get as excited when watching the highlights of a game involving your favorite team as you are when watching that team play out a game on the field? Particularly when you have a rough idea of how the game turned out (as you would in the aftermath of a battle).

I do watch most Formula 1 races delayed because I'm not going to wake up at 5 am for them. I just have to remember to stay off YouTube until I have. In the Honorverse, there's hardly any problem because the reporters can't have filed their pieces yet when they're weeks away by courier from their home newscasters.

But in any case, I was pointing out that I had failed to take the human nature into account. Watching a Formula 1 race or a battle live does not affect its outcome nor what I am going to do after them. But I sure watch the time-friendly ones live (Miami, COTA, Vegas, Mexico, São Paulo, Melbourne, and Japan).

ThinksMarkedly wrote:But in any case, I was pointing out that I had failed to take the human nature into account.

I realize, but I did not understand not taking "human nature into account". You do prefer to watch things live, unless very inconvenient, the way I imagine most people do.

penny wrote:

markusschaber wrote:On the other hand, it makes sense to distribute them amongst the fleet, to reduce the risk of a single hit killing all of them. And it makes sense to put Havenite reporters on Havenite ships, Andermani reporters on Andermani ships etc. - most probably on board of those ship with high ranking flag officers.

And, of course, I'm talking about a handful of reporters, not more than 2 or 3 of each of the 4 nations, so we have about a dozen including O'Hanrahan.

Perhaps. Maybe. But we do know that Audrey was aboard ship with Honor. If Audrey was alone with Honor then that would have given Audrey the scoop. Reporters don't like getting scooped. It does not bode well for their career. And if they are going to risk their life and travel to God only knows where, then it's only fair that they do not get scooped.

I don't think they'd feel scooped, if the conditions had been communicated from the beginning. They understand about operational security, and they understand that distributing them reduces the risk of all of them being lost with a single lucky hit.

penny wrote:I fully expected someone's counterargument – about whether lots of reporters should have been sent to Galton – to be to ensure at least one reporter lived. Markusscaber suggested one reporter per ship. That would ensure that at least one reporter survived, but Honor does not need a hostile witness. Doh! I get it now. LOL But isn't that cold and calculating? Virtually throwing the reporters under the bus. Yeah, I see where this conversation is headed.

Hmm. I don't recall any time I suggested one reporter per ship. That would be several hundred reporters across the whole fleet train.

I remember writing:

markusschaber wrote:On the other hand, it makes sense to distribute them amongst the fleet, to reduce the risk of a single hit killing all of them. And it makes sense to put Havenite reporters on Havenite ships, Andermani reporters on Andermani ships etc. - most probably on board of those ship with high ranking flag officers.

And, of course, I'm talking about a handful of reporters, not more than 2 or 3 of each of the 4 nations, so we have about a dozen including O'Hanrahan.

So there, I explicitly limit the total number of reporters to 13 at maximum (4 GA Nations à 3 reporters + Audrey). But nowhere in this thread have I been talking about "lots" of reporters, or "one per ship".

Yes, wrote about spreading the reporters out around the fleet train, to reduce the risk of all of them them being killed with a single hit. But I also wrote about ships with high ranking flag officers, which is only a small fraction of the fleet train, and again not "one per ship".

Thinking about it, maybe the reporters even had been transferred onto some of the support ships (like repair- and hospital ships) which hypered when before the shooting started - this might be indicated by the fact that Audrey refers to seeing the recording of the communication, instead of live.

penny wrote:Picture this. Honor's armsmen and a gaggle of reporters. And the reporters have to be vetted and checked for nanites. That would be a good opportunity to assassinate Honor. That would kill Honor and the mission. Even as a lawyer you do not want to introduce a hostile witness. Most reporters don't like Honor. Why would she even want to bring them? Remember the reporter at Pavel Young's duel? Honor couldn't catch a break from his admonishment of her actions regardless of what Young had actually done. That is the kind of reporters you want Honor, the Star Empire, Beth and the GA to rely upon? Audrey was fair and respected. Therefore, Audrey was enough.

No one was talking about shipping masses of yellow press scum.

I can't speak for the others, but I personally thought about a few, hand-selected reporters. Not all reporters were on the High Ridge / Young side during those times, and usually, trashy tabloid reporters are not the same guys as war reporters. (And you can't convince me there haven't been experienced war reporters after those many years of war.)

tlb wrote:I reject that Audrey is special, except to the extent that this story needs to get back to the public of the Solarian League. So the question is whether she is the only well known reporter that was not a stooge for the previous Permanent Senior Undersecretary of Information; if not then she should not be the only reporter from the League.

Audrey is also special insofar, as she's been "in" on the Ghost Hunters side of the investigations (the Solarian League internal investigators who found traces and evidence of "The Others" aka the Malignment), as she found out about those investigations, and asked Brigadier Gaddis to be involved.

So all those are arguments that if Solarian newsies are to be involved, Audrey should be chosen. But it's a different story whether and which reporters to include from the GA member nations.

tlb wrote:I reject that Audrey is special, except to the extent that this story needs to get back to the public of the Solarian League. So the question is whether she is the only well known reporter that was not a stooge for the previous Permanent Senior Undersecretary of Information; if not then she should not be the only reporter from the League.

markusschaber wrote:Audrey is also special insofar, as she's been "in" on the Ghost Hunters side of the investigations (the Solarian League internal investigators who found traces and evidence of "The Others" aka the Malignment), as she found out about those investigations, and asked Brigadier Gaddis to be involved.

So all those are arguments that if Solarian newsies are to be involved, Audrey should be chosen. But it's a different story whether and which reporters to include from the GA member nations.

I have agreed that she has one of the best records of any Solarian reporter (the best as far as we know). That makes her "special" among the Solarian news staff that could be chosen.

Asking to join the Ghost Hunters should raise suspicions, if one is sufficiently paranoid. It is quite probable that her connections to Darius helped her find out about these investigations. After all, they should have good information on the agents that have ceased to function. This is similar to the pyromaniac that wants to join the volunteer fire brigade.

markusschaber wrote:

penny wrote:Picture this. Honor's armsmen and a gaggle of reporters. And the reporters have to be vetted and checked for nanites. That would be a good opportunity to assassinate Honor. That would kill Honor and the mission. Even as a lawyer you do not want to introduce a hostile witness. Most reporters don't like Honor. Why would she even want to bring them? Remember the reporter at Pavel Young's duel? Honor couldn't catch a break from his admonishment of her actions regardless of what Young had actually done. That is the kind of reporters you want Honor, the Star Empire, Beth and the GA to rely upon? Audrey was fair and respected. Therefore, Audrey was enough.

No one was talking about shipping masses of yellow press scum.

I can't speak for the others, but I personally thought about a few, hand-selected reporters. Not all reporters were on the High Ridge / Young side during those times, and usually, trashy tabloid reporters are not the same guys as war reporters. (And you can't convince me there haven't been experienced war reporters after those many years of war.)

Toll of Honor wrote:Scarborough fully understood the value of the well-chosen soundbite. And why it was so important to have the original sound in its entirety when someone inevitably accused one of selective editing or even outright fabrication.

This passage specifically emphasizes why the reporters must be strategically located on the flag bridge to be credible witnesses if the excrement hits the whine of the rotary turbine.

****** *

Chris Scarborough and Bryant Hirsch were the two featured reporters on the scene during Denver Summervale’s execution. Scarborough was the usual typical hostile reporter against anything associated with the likes of Honor Harrington. Honor couldn't get a break from Scarborough's admonishment no matter what the incredulous Bryant Hirsch continually pointed out to him what the scum Young had done.

If I am mistaken please correct me. But in the history of the HV I don't recall any reporter who was sympathetic to Honor’s cause. Even war reporters. Specifically war reporters! Stacy Hauptman eventually became friends with Honor, but I am uncertain of her feelings toward Honor initially. Audrey is what I call neutral, but other than this Bryant Hirsch, I don't recall a single reporter who liked Honor. That fact is what prompted Stacey Hauptman to buy a newspaper to help Honor out. Do you recall any other reporters, of any specialty, actually in Honor's corner? Do tell!

penny wrote:This passage specifically emphasizes why the reporters must be strategically located on the flag bridge to be credible witnesses if the excrement hits the whine of the rotary turbine.

****** *

Chris Scarborough and Bryant Hirsch were the two featured reporters on the scene during Denver Summervale’s execution. Scarborough was the usual typical hostile reporter against anything associated with the likes of Honor Harrington. Honor couldn't get a break from Scarborough's admonishment no matter what the incredulous Bryant Hirsch continually pointed out to him what the scum Young had done.

If I am mistaken please correct me. But in the history of the HV I don't recall any reporter who was sympathetic to Honor’s cause. Even war reporters. Specifically war reporters! Stacy Hauptman eventually became friends with Honor, but I am uncertain of her feelings toward Honor initially. Audrey is what I call neutral, but other than this Bryant Hirsch, I don't recall a single reporter who liked Honor. That fact is what prompted Stacey Hauptman to buy a newspaper to help Honor out. Do you recall any other reporters, of any specialty, actually in Honor's corner? Do tell!

I would say, somewhere that they can witness the interaction between Galton and the fleet; but not specifically on the bridge or the flag deck.

You have already pointed out one such reporter. I am completely comfortable with the books not mentioning any other "reporter who was sympathetic to Honor’s cause". That does not mean that such reporters do not exist; but the author is writing drama, not a documentary.

PS: When did White Haven make "a beeline to Nouveau Paris"?