FITTING THOUGHT
1
What journalism and
plumbing have in common
This is my first issue of Plumbing Africa, and I have probably
learned more during the past month than I’ve ever learned in a
single month before. You see, I’m not a plumber – even though
everybody might expect me to be when I come to interview them.
I was previously editor of two other magazines in the IMD stable:
Civil Engineering Contractor and Quarry SA.
What I unexpectedly learned during this first month ‘on the
job’, is that plumbers and journalists have a lot in common.
Both trades are good at listening. A typical plumber’s
reassuring introduction to a distressed homeowner might
go along the lines of, “Morning, Ma’am, I hear you’re having
a problem with your toilet? Lead the way, and I’ll take a
look-see, and perhaps more importantly, listen.” That’s pretty
much what I say when commencing an interview – except
the bit about the toilet.
Stephen D. Isaacs, a prominent journalist and professor at
Columbia University, laid out Four Principles of Interviews in
his teachings:
• Prepare carefully; familiarising yourself with as much
background as possible.
• Establish a relationship with the source conducive to
obtaining information.
• Ask questions relevant to the source that induce the
source to talk.
• Listen and watch attentively.
Every plumber consciously or unconsciously does precisely
that. Plumbers also get to know more than they want to
about a family’s personal and hygiene habits. So do I! Just
like a certified ‘psychoplumbalysist’ knows the number-one
cause of sudden-onset running problems, after regular wear-
and-tear on the seals, is inappropriate behaviour involving
the u-bend, usually by a family member. I seldom leave an
interview without knowing every detail of the interviewee’s
personal life, marital problems and what scumbag the
daughter is currently seeing.
For a journalist, interviews are of critical importance.
Writing for a trade publication like Plumbing Africa is 'real'
journalism in an age of content snippets. That’s why taking
on the challenge of Plumbing Africa is not only a little
scary (or it would be without your help as sources and
contributors), but an honour. My goal is to initially maintain
the standard of this publication while I learn the ropes,
and later to see if it cannot be somewhat refreshed. Each
business owner out there is well-aware of the need to
continually refresh their business, keep up with the times
and technology, and keep interest alive while never deviating
from the brand and core values.
Twitter:
@plumbingonline
Facebook:
@plumbingonline
Linked-In:
@PlumbingAfricaOnline
Plumbing Africa keeps its collective ear close to the ground.
We encourage citizen journalism: any plumber with a
viewpoint (subject to our content rules) is welcome to contact
me to be interviewed or to contribute to any of our regular
features. You can reach me at [email protected].
Bear in mind we verify everything we publish, so no wacky
conspiracy theories will be published – only the certifiable
truth. PA
Eamonn
Eamonn Ryan, Editor
One major difference between journalism and plumbing
relates to time. Plumbers are often confronted with a
homeowner in varying degrees of distress, and the event
is invariably an emergency. That at least is spared one in
an interview.
Another difference is, while bored housewives are frequently
portrayed in movies seducing the plumber (when the
postman isn’t on hand), journalism appears to carry zero
sex appeal. However, we appear to earn roughly the same,
which is why journalism is often seen as more a trade than
a profession.
August 2019 Volume 25 I Number 6
www.plumbingafrica.co.za