Coordinating Coverage for a Murder Trial p.

By: Debra Gersh

Setting up a media center for the 450 journalists who covered the trial of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was no easy task sp.

DANIEL PATRINOS' PREDECESSOR as media coordinator for cameras in Milwaukee courts had great timing: About the same time as she stepped down from the post, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested.
Dahmer was arrested in July 1991 and charged with 17 murders. There were allegations of cannibalism and perverted sexual practices involving corpses. Not surprisingly, media from around the world flocked to Milwaukee to cover the bizarre story of carnage.
It quickly became clear that the courtroom where the trial was to be held could in no way accommodate all the media which wanted to cover the proceedings, so it was up to Patrinos as media coordinator to work out a solution.
When the Wisconsin State Supreme Court issued its rules for cameras in courtrooms in 1979, it called for a volunteer media coordinator to work out arrangements for such coverage.
While all of the 450 newspeople who descended on the Milwaukee court did not want actually to sit in the courtroom ? many were broadcast editors, technicians, etc. ? there nevertheless were some 100 people who wanted in, Patrinos explained at a workshop during the Society of Professional Journalists national convention in Baltimore.
The first thing Patrinos did was begin calling journalists together to set up a pool system. He put out advisories on the Associated Press, United Press International and Reuters wires, and he saw to it that local community papers, including black and gay newspapers (many of Dahmer's victims were black homosexual men), were informed.
He let the still and video photographers work out their own pool arrangements. Still photographers took considerably longer ? nine hours versus two-and-a-half hours for video ? because of the details such as working out who has the rights to sell photos, how to get film out of the courtroom, credit lines, and who would pay for the film and other supplies.
There also was the matter of distortion from shooting through the plexiglass shield that separated the court audience from the proceedings. After demonstrating the problem to the judge, he allowed a small area in front of the barrier to be used by camera people.
In addition, Patrinos, who is operations editor at the Milwaukee Sentinel, enlisted the aid of two local broadcasters to help with those issues.
A media center was set up in a nearby room that had been a lunchroom for jurors, but it was hardly a matter of sweeping the floor and putting in a few tables and chairs.
Patrinos had to rent tables and drapes (for broadcasters' backgrounds), call in technicians to run cables and electricity (while meeting local fire codes), put in additional phone lines, arrange for live video feeds from the courtroom to monitors in the media center, bring in coatracks, and generally get the place ready for the onslaught.
In addition, a pool of reporters had to be determined. The judge allowed 23 seats for the 100 journalists who wanted to be in the courtroom.
Patrinos gave preference to media from Milwaukee County, including the gay, black and Spanish-language press ? "it was our court, our story," he said ? and to the wire services since they supply news to many others.
There still were many others who wanted to be there, so Patrinos set up a system of rotating four to six seats each day.
Some reporters lined up and were able to get seats with the public, and those who could not get in could watch from the media center.
The media center served a second purpose, as trial participants could go there each day to address media questions.
Patrinos said he convinced many to participate by telling them it might curtail any harassment from media calling or going to their homes and offices.
Outside the courtroom, there was a problem with congestion in the hallway, as photographers and reporters clamored to get to the victims' families and others waiting there.
Because of the congestion and noise, the judge at first threatened to remove all press from the hall, but was convinced that if they stayed behind a barrier designated by tape on the floor they could stay there, Patrinos explained.
One important lesson Patrinos learned was to get the money from news organizations up front.
"Sensational trials cost the media more," he said, noting that this trial resulted in about $14,000 in bills, about $1,000 of which still has not been paid.
In addition, the Sentinel bore some of the cost, such as telephone calls Patrinos made from his office to media around the world, and staff time and materials used to make media identification badges and other items.
One of his co-coordinators' stations acted as the bank, paying bills as they came in and then being reimbursed as each participant paid its part, he noted.
A key to the success of this effort, Patrinos said, was gaining the respect and trust of the justices he worked with, as well as that of the sheriff's deputies and other public officials who were involved.