DAY ONE - TRAGEDY

The first story I ever wrote and broadcast concerned a man who had stopped to help the victims of a road accident. This Good Samaritan, married with children, was on the edge of the road when he was knocked down and killed. An awful story. Some ambitious student might one day do a thesis on the effect on young journalists continually coming across such dreadful material. I suppose that rather like young doctors we used sick humour to counter these daily tragedies. Young people also have an inbuilt feeling of immortality. I recall, while producing BBC Look East several years later, the difficulty of persuading a 22 year old to report on a university conference about ageing. He really did not see that as part of his universe and was most peeved at even having to bother with such material. I guess now his views have changed!