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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 515 ..
MR RUGENDYKE (continuing):
At Bruce Stadium the press box is on the try-line and only fits five people along the front. Unless you are at the front you cannot see the whole field so you have to walk around the box to see the game. This year they have put the press in a new place but it only fits three or four people.
Mr Speaker, those are the problems Phil Lynch was just trying to watch a game so that he can ask questions at the media conference. The print journalists who have to file copy and meet pressing deadlines have other problems. Mr Steve Mascord, who covers National Rugby League games for the Sydney Morning Herald and is a regular on ABC radio's Grandstand, says:
Bruce Stadium rates with Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Sports Ground as the worst three print media facilities in the competition.
There is only one phone line in the media room we had last year and there are two in the new one but they also have to be used by photographers. The worst problem is you can't see the whole field. Unless you get one of the two centre seats, you can't see the field. It is really bad. The press facilities were afterthoughts.
Finally, Mr Speaker, what about this from Mr Gary Scholes, who has been with the Canberra Times for more than 20 years:
I have covered Olympic Games and World Cup Rugby and there is only one word to describe the conditions for print journalists in comparison to other stadium - disgraceful.
We have a first class stadium with third world media facilities. We are a laughing stock. It is embarrassing and I am sick and tired of copping a bagging from visiting journalists from interstate, South Africa and New Zealand.
You talk about lines of sight. In the designated press box, the spectator row in front is so close that when the crowd stands up to follow a break or whatever, you can't see the game.
When asked whether they could see the clock and the scoreboard, Mr Scholes said:
Yes, but only if you lean out as far as you can over the desk.
He went on to say:
This year they moved us to an area closer to half-way. There is no desk space to sit your laptop. The seating is not appropriate, it is out in the grandstand where you are surrounded by noise. You just can't do your job properly particularly when you have to share the phoneline and you have got early deadlines on a Friday or Saturday night.
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