And that very same day, a demonstration that getting angry may be just what the media want.

Peter Mitchell: An accused rioter has clashed with a television cameraman after facing court on charges arising from the attack on the Oakleigh Bob Jane store... — Channel Seven News, Victoria, 1st April, 2010

The charges are serious, but of course not yet proven.

And anyway, it wasn't the accused rioter who was first shown clashing with the cameraman outside the Melbourne Magistrates Court - it was his father.

Gad Amr: You bloody idiot. You idiot. Simon Fuller: The camera's rolling. Gad Amr: I don't care, you say to whoever. — Channel Seven News, Victoria, 1st April, 2010

On Seven's story, that aggressive behaviour by Mr Gad Amr seemed to come completely out of the blue. But we've been given the unedited footage shot by one of the cameramen there that day.

It shows that the father had been sorely provoked, especially by the cameraman shooting for Nine News. We're going to run it at some length. And I warn you, the language isn't pretty.

Omar Amr has just been given bail by the magistrate, and he and his father were trying to walk away from the court.

Gad Amr: Please! Please guys. Please. I don't want to push anyone. Please. I said please. Simon Fuller: You don't push people, mate. Gad Amr: Please. I say please. I say please. Simon Fuller: You don't push people. Gad Amr: I say please. Simon Fuller: You don't push people. — Camera tape, 1st April, 2010

Both men cross the street but when they return to the pavement it continues...

Gad Amr: I say please. I say please. Please. Leave me alone, please. Simon Fuller: I'm just doing my job, mate. Gad Amr: Please, leave me alone. Enough. Simon Fuller: I'm just doing my job. — Camera tape, 1st April, 2010

Just doing his job.

But at most he needed a couple of shots of the pair. You'd think he'd have got enough by now.

But no, he's hardly started.

Gad Amr: Go away please. Leave me alone. You want the shot? You already have it. Please go away. Omar Amr: All right, you've got me. F***, what do you want? All right, you've got my face. Is that what you want? Is that what the media wants? F*** off. Gad Amr: I say please. Man, please. (In Arabic to Omar) Stop it, Omar! (In English to Simon Fuller) Please. Go away. Please. Simon Fuller: You don't touch me. Gad Amr: Okay, I don't touch you, I say please. Go away. Go. Simon Fuller: You don't touch people. Gad Amr: (In Arabic to Omar) Stop Omar. They want you to confront them. (In English to Simon Fuller) Please. Go away please. Please. Simon Fuller: We're just doing our jobs. — Camera tape, 1st April, 2010

You don't touch people. But it's fine, apparently, to stick a camera in their faces for minutes on end while they walk down a public street.

By our count, the cameraman had been asked to stop - 'please' - twenty-five times by Mr Amr.

At this point, though a noisy truck makes it hard to hear, it sounds as if the cameraman says 'eff off'.

Simon Fuller: F*** off. Gad Amr: You say to him f*** off. You say to him f*** off? You say to him to f*** off? Simon Fuller: The camera's rolling. Gad Amr: You bloody idiot. Simon Fuller: The camera's rolling. Gad Amr: You idiot. I don't care you say to whoever, you idiot. Omar Amr: F*** him, mate. He's a f*** knuckle. Simon Fuller: You f***ing terrorist. — Camera tape, 1st April, 2010

That's right. The Nine cameraman, whose name is Simon Fuller, called Mr Amr an 'effing terrorist'.

If he wanted a reaction, he certainly got one.

Gad Amr: You say again. You bloody idiot, you idiot, you idiot. Omar Amr: A terrorist? A terrorist? You call him a terrorist? All right we'll go and get the cops now then. — Camera tape, 1st April, 2010

The argument continued as the Amrs retraced their steps towards the court in search of police. A minute and a half later it was still going on.

Omar Amr was by now furious...

Omar Amr: Calling my dad a terrorist! Who the f** are you to call him a terrorist? Why are you calling him a terrorist? 'Cos he has a beard and 'cos he's Muslim? It's what it comes down to? Is that what you guys have brung us down to? You can't even have a beard in this country any more without being called a f***ing terrorist! Have some f***ing self-decency. The man has never been to court in his life and you're calling him a terrorist! You're calling him a terrorist and he's never been to court in his life. Is that what it's come down to? — Camera tape, 1st April, 2010

Edifying stuff.

Nine's Director of News in Melbourne tells Media Watch:

Simon Fuller has been stood down pending the completion of an investigation into all the facts surrounding this incident. — Response from Michael Venus (Director of News, Nine Network Melbourne) to Media Watch, 9th April, 2010

Good.

But until TV News Directors make it clear to their cameramen that they don't want people to be badgered like this, it will go on happening. It's worth remembering that there were at least two crews filming the incident. Wisely, in the circumstances, Nine didn't broadcast a single frame of the confrontation.

In a statement to Media Watch, Gad Amr's lawyer writes:

Mr Amr wishes to clarify that he has been a citizen in this country for over 20 years and has never been the subject of a criminal allegation. He also wishes to convey his disappointment that the words were said in the first place by the channel 9 cameraman, and that the altercation was later broadcast by channel 7. — Response from Grace Morgan to Media Watch, 9th April, 2010

In fact both Ten and Seven aired some of the confrontation. Neither gave any hint of how seriously Gad Amr had been provoked.

He comes across as an aggressive Muslim.

His lawyer says:

This incident has the capacity to further erode the Islamic community's confidence in the media. — Response from Grace Morgan to Media Watch, 9th April, 2010

No more to be said.

That's it for this week.

Special thanks to our Executive Producer for the past two years, Jo Puccini, who left us last week. Our loss, and Lateline's gain.

But we'll be back as usual next week.

Till then, goodnight.