Q & A with John Webb

How has your life changed since you joined Carte Blanche? 

In a great many ways that aren't always easy to quantify. However, having left Carte Blanche to live abroad for four years, I know that life can sometimes feel a little empty when you're not working for Carte Blanche.

 

You are the face of the brand; do you find you are constantly on the job?

Yes: hunting for possible stories, and bumping into friends and strangers who all have the next big scoop.

 

Producing a show is all about team work, yet viewers often assume you go it alone. Tell us about a typical shoot and who’s involved?

The hardest workers on any story are the producer and researchers. They lay the groundwork by compiling information required for the shoot, set up the interviews and book the necessary crew.  We generally shoot over two days, which is the period the presenter and camera crew tend to be involved with the production process. Once the footage is 'in the can', the presenters move on to other stories, while the producer books into a post-production facility to edit the piece into the final 10-minute Carte Blanche insert. Before any story is aired, it has to be approved by the executive team at Carte Blanche. If there are any legal concerns, a lawyer is also asked to deliver an opinion.

 

Are there things you simply refuse to do?

I won't sacrifice my journalistic ethic which demands objective and factual reporting. And I won't go nude unless the script absolutely demands it.

 

The show has been on-air for 26 years - the longest of any South African current affairs show. To what do you attribute its longevity?

It tells stories that are important to South Africans in a way that isn't patronising. I'm not sure when the tipping point came, but I also think the viewers feel the show belongs to them; it's become part of the social fabric.

 

Your high profile must offer some measure of security – but what still gets you nervous on a shoot?

People who fling half-bricks at the crew, and flying on anything piloted by Russian pilots wearing flip-flops.