Discussion
Picked up the Metro newspaper today and there was a spread on a Woman who alledgedly jumped to her death from a london hotel. I didn't have time to read the article and can't find a link but i was suprised to see a picture of the poor woman freefalling to her death.
I realise that the media have a duty to report things and we are constantly shown victims of war, disease, famine etc but do you ever wonder if they show too much?
I for one would not be pleased in the context of the Metro printing this picture if i knew this woman.
if anyone could find a link with a warning attatched in the text please?
I think the Metro ( didn't see any other pictures ) were wrong to print this, what about you?
>> Edited by bilko2 on Wednesday 4th January 21:23
I realise that the media have a duty to report things and we are constantly shown victims of war, disease, famine etc but do you ever wonder if they show too much?
I for one would not be pleased in the context of the Metro printing this picture if i knew this woman.
if anyone could find a link with a warning attatched in the text please?
I think the Metro ( didn't see any other pictures ) were wrong to print this, what about you?
>> Edited by bilko2 on Wednesday 4th January 21:23
Sky News website said:
A senior executive has fallen 100ft to her death from the fourth-floor of an upmarket London hotel.Police and ambulance staff were called after Katherine Ward, 52, was spotted on a window ledge in South Kensington.But they were unable to stop Miss Ward falling and she died of her injuries at the scene.
Passing photographer Jon Bushell, 39, said the woman fell when "she bent her legs and held her arms out as if she was diving in a swimming pool".
Police said the death, which happened on Tuesday lunchtime, was not being treated as suspicious.
Former colleagues have paid tribute to lawyer Miss Ward, who worked as a senior executive at Rolls-Royce and lived in nearby Onslow Gardens.
Friend Keith Oliver said: "No one can comprehend why this happened. She was vivacious, extremely intelligent and great company.
"This has come out of the blue."
A post mortem will be held.
I don't have too much of an issue with true photographs, however some of the morals of reporters and editors are non-existent. They fill the stories with half truths and innuendo - and some mud sticks! For example, if a newspaper wants to draw negative attention to someone they will say things like "XXXXX denies theft". Clearly the words are true, but the innuendo is almost tangible. Also, when a newspaper runs a 5 page spread on some poor devil who's later proven innocent, the apology is five lines long, stuck away on page 28. I reckon the law should demand that the apology is the same column inches as the original (false) story.
I suppose you have to balance the reality of what happens in the world, to what people may be squeamish seeing. I'd rather see what happens, without being mollycoddled about what I should, and should not se. The footage of the chap falling from the WTC was indeed horrifying, but maybe we need to see what happens in these situations, and what the results are. Life is viewed as a movie too much, and maybe the human cost of certain decisions by people, or governments need to be seen, and not swept under the carpet.
Parrot of Doom said:
Can we please stop confusing the Press with the generic term 'Media'. They are not one and the same.
The title was meant to be thought provoking and not directly offensive to anyone that works for news agencies or other forms of media....
The same picture was printed on page 2 of the Times today although it was enhanced so you could see the look on the womans face. WHY?
The police have already said the event is not being treated as suspicious.
Had the man not been there to take pictures i don't believe the story would have made more than 10 lines.
Does the Times think this is the sort of thing people want to read about? I'm not talking about censorship, i'm talking about a bit of dignity, abit of decency.
Maybe it is just me, maybe that is where my line is. I didn't watch the video of Ken Bigley getting murdered either. BTW that is a word i wish the media would use more..MURDERED. Iv'e noticed they use the word kill/ed too much when it should be murdered.
>> Edited by bilko2 on Thursday 5th January 17:09
tinman0 said:
Does the Times think this is the sort of thing people want to read about?
Does that mean you've never watched the WTC towers coming down?
Not quite sure why you would ask me such a loaded question other than to try and poo poo me in some way. Do you mean did i rush to the tv and switch it off when the collapse of the towers was on? No, of course not. I watched in disbelief and bewilderment the same as everyone else.
Do i agree with the broadcasting of the event?, Yes, i think it was something that people needed to see. An event so collosal that it effected hundreds of thousands, millions even.
Whats the difference?
Not sure realy apart from my gut tells me the tabloids were using these photoghraphs to shock people and i can't figure out why. I don't know the statistics for suicide in this country but i guess it's at least 1 every minute or somewhere of that magnitude.
I'm not trying to belittle the death of Katherine Ward in that statement but simply questioning the morals and reasons of the editors that agreed the publication.
The answer of course is because they had the photographs and that's what is bothering me. Without those pictures the story would prabably not have been published.
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