Webb has a simple plan, not to effect change to a television staple favourite, but rather to refine the programme and continue sharing a strong narrative across segments.
It’s the hot seat, where the heat is on every day. And it’s been John Webb’s dream to take on one of journalism’s biggest challenges for some time. Being executive producer of one of South Africa’s longest-running television shows, Carte Blanche, is not for sissies, and Webb’s been behind the wheel for almost a handful of years. The show celebrates its thirty-seventh season this year, and keeping it relevant, sourcing compelling stories and maintaining high standards of journalism for such a long time has been no mean feat.
Webb has a simple plan, not to effect change to a television staple favourite, but rather to refine the programme and continue sharing a strong narrative across segments. Said Webb: “We are storytellers, first and foremost, that’s what we call ourselves. When we come up with ideas, we call them stories. When we got to shoot them, we say, ‘We’re going to go shoot a story’, and that is our primary focus.” He believes that focusing on characters within a story makes it more accessible to viewers, and getting that element right is not always easy. “But when it comes together, it’s magic.”
Exposing rot and corruption
Carte Blanche has earned a reputation over the years for its exposés, revealing some of the rot and corruption across various echelons of government, business and society. As the media landscape is changing along with consumption patterns, he believes that it’s more important than ever to weave a story within a story. “It’s about more than just hearing negative news about the place we live in; we are fatigued about this. Instead, it is about finding the characters inside this picture, looking at them too, the human narrative.” It’s important to him to share stories with integrity, clarity and to ensure balance in reportage.
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Last year, the show covered elections live for the first time. Webb said the focus remained on the human aspect, not the party-political narrative. He said: “We needed to make a contribution to the national discussion around what was happening, so we went to four provinces, places that don’t get a lot of publicity necessarily. And we told service delivery stories without actually mentioning political parties. You know, we told the stories of the people who live alongside rivers of sewage. We told the story of businesses trying to stay afloat and retain their workers when they have intermittent electricity at best.” He added that sometimes sharing in this way is harder hitting than simple reporting. It’s South African stories, set in the milieu of an issue or situation, and it brings it to life and reveals home life truths, every time.
Veteran broadcaster
It’s a strategy that works. As a presenter on talk radio for several years, including Talk at Nine on 702, Webb tackled tough issues, and his interviews were challenging for subjects who were on the receiving end of a Webb-terrogation. John Webb is a dynamic storyteller and at the reins of Carte Blanche, which he joined as a journalist and segment presenter in 2004, it’s the genesis of subtle nuance to further develop the art of storytelling.
Webb said he’s never really thought of journalism as a job, nor a calling. The thrill of the chase is there, too, but to him, it’s the never-ending flow of stories that makes every day different. The investigations, the hidden cameras that lift the veil on wrongdoing.
He said: “The team are passionate about what they do, some producers have been at it since the beginning of the show. And I have enormous respect for them.”
Webb added that it’s impossible not to be impacted by the show’s content. “When you are filming in abject poverty or witness injustice, it does affect you on a personal level. I think this is why we are able to speak so powerfully about issues, because we care about them. We are not standing on the outside looking in, but rather, become immersed into it and telling it as it is.”
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