Jake Putnam and KTVB photog Mark Bozman head out on a story in November 1987, Boz passed away September 10thONE DAY IN THE LAND OF BOZ
By Jake Putnam
Longtime photographer Mark Bozman was a true craftsman and took great pride in every frame of video he shot. He also took rookie reporters like me under his wing and taught us not only how to report but how to relate with real people of the street. Boz had contempt for officials saying they polluted his stories. He always let the action and the people carry his stories, it was a concept not taught in journalism school but Boz was ahead of his time.
Back in the spring of 1988 Mark and I were dispatched to the Idaho State Pen on cold, Sunday night. We'd already done the day-shift and neither thrilled at the prospect of on-call overtime. But we took the call and as usual we were the first on the scene of a prison riot, better yet; at the gate Boz miraculously talked our way into the minimum security yard to shoot the burning buildings in the medium lockup next door.
We had the old livevan that night and were assigned to put together a package and liveshot for 10pm. Boz shot killer vid of the SERT team storming the burning buildings when a guard came up and told us we were in full lock-down which meant that we were going no where for a very long time. We would have to send our video back via microwave, and Buzz would have to edit it in action-cam, worse yet we were on our own.For the next 9 hours we were imprisoned in the yard with immates, as the guards were tending to the riot just 30 yards away.
At first I was terrified and Boz could sense it. He stood against the razor wire with a smirky smile on his face. He loved the drama of the moment, the fire trucks, the guards with guns, the smoke and choas. He got on the radio and let the newsroom know in so many words that we were in perilous danger but had it under control. Then to me, with a half way grin he said 'see the guys in the towers? Anyone makes a move at us and theyre dead." It was true, there were meanacing snipers not more than 5o yards away, with M-16s locked and loaded. Despite that, a few inmates cautiously came to us bringing water and niffty denim inmate jackets because of the cold. They also brought stories from the inside. Boz ate it up and within minutes we were inmate brothers. In confidence they told us the riot was a cover for a retailitory murder in the cellblock. We had the inside information because of Boz's ability to relate and gain confidence of people, he put people at ease and trusted him. Because we were confident and cool and because of Bozman's swagger, no one gave us a bad time we were one of them.
It was dark and cold in the yard, some inmates brought us blankets while firecrews continued to fight the fire in the cellblock In all the confusion guards were chasing inmates down, cuffing then moving them to other cellblocks. All the while more firetrucks were arriving, along with police reenforcements.
We were starving and Boz called back to the station and had anchorman Steve Otteson order us 5 pizzas from Pizza Hut for delivery to the front gate. Boz had a big smile on his face knowing the pizzas would add to the choas and piss -off the guards. Some 45 minutes later a deputy warden and two guards showed up with our pizza and were highly irritated. Boz listened to the lecture while he wrote a check and told them if they had concerns to take it up with the warden. As it turned out Boz and the Warden were friends from the Claude Dallas escape and Boz said he 'owed us one.'
Pizza never tasted better, maybe it was the backdrop or the drama. We each had all the pop and pizza we could eat; We gave 4 pizzas to appreciative inmates in the yard none of whom had anything to eat since noon. As they ate they told us about the guy who had been hit in the other cellblock, about the guy named Shorty who did the stabbing and why he did it. None of the investigators had this info; this was all Boz inside info and this was just one of many days that ole Boz turned a shitty situation to one of the most fun, interesting nights in broadcast news.
At 10 pm we led the cast with the only vids behind the wire but with the names of the victim and the suspect. We were breathing rarified air that night, so giddy and high with our scoop and we looked smart in our denim prison jackets.
The competition finally showed up but could only manage 30 seconds of video about the 'disturbance'. Boz and I had been to prison, survived a riot and killed the competition. The guards finally escorted out the gates just after 3-am a few hours later we stormed the morning editorial meeting as heros of the newsroom; all of which was forgotten in 48 hours. As Boz said you can hit it out of the park one day but on the other end the next.
At first I was terrified and Boz could sense it. He stood against the razor wire with a smirky smile on his face. He loved the drama of the moment, the fire trucks, the guards with guns, the smoke and choas. He got on the radio and let the newsroom know in so many words that we were in perilous danger but had it under control. Then to me, with a half way grin he said 'see the guys in the towers? Anyone makes a move at us and theyre dead." It was true, there were meanacing snipers not more than 5o yards away, with M-16s locked and loaded. Despite that, a few inmates cautiously came to us bringing water and niffty denim inmate jackets because of the cold. They also brought stories from the inside. Boz ate it up and within minutes we were inmate brothers. In confidence they told us the riot was a cover for a retailitory murder in the cellblock. We had the inside information because of Boz's ability to relate and gain confidence of people, he put people at ease and trusted him. Because we were confident and cool and because of Bozman's swagger, no one gave us a bad time we were one of them.
It was dark and cold in the yard, some inmates brought us blankets while firecrews continued to fight the fire in the cellblock In all the confusion guards were chasing inmates down, cuffing then moving them to other cellblocks. All the while more firetrucks were arriving, along with police reenforcements.
We were starving and Boz called back to the station and had anchorman Steve Otteson order us 5 pizzas from Pizza Hut for delivery to the front gate. Boz had a big smile on his face knowing the pizzas would add to the choas and piss -off the guards. Some 45 minutes later a deputy warden and two guards showed up with our pizza and were highly irritated. Boz listened to the lecture while he wrote a check and told them if they had concerns to take it up with the warden. As it turned out Boz and the Warden were friends from the Claude Dallas escape and Boz said he 'owed us one.'
Pizza never tasted better, maybe it was the backdrop or the drama. We each had all the pop and pizza we could eat; We gave 4 pizzas to appreciative inmates in the yard none of whom had anything to eat since noon. As they ate they told us about the guy who had been hit in the other cellblock, about the guy named Shorty who did the stabbing and why he did it. None of the investigators had this info; this was all Boz inside info and this was just one of many days that ole Boz turned a shitty situation to one of the most fun, interesting nights in broadcast news.
At 10 pm we led the cast with the only vids behind the wire but with the names of the victim and the suspect. We were breathing rarified air that night, so giddy and high with our scoop and we looked smart in our denim prison jackets.
The competition finally showed up but could only manage 30 seconds of video about the 'disturbance'. Boz and I had been to prison, survived a riot and killed the competition. The guards finally escorted out the gates just after 3-am a few hours later we stormed the morning editorial meeting as heros of the newsroom; all of which was forgotten in 48 hours. As Boz said you can hit it out of the park one day but on the other end the next.
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