The media have been
very fond of interviewing family and other relatives of victims even if these
people are still in grief. In one of the news published by TV 5 in their news
program “Aksyon” (December 5, 2014), they interviewed the mother of a real
estate agent who died from a shooting encounter. Majority of the interview were
actually just clips of the mother crying. She was unable to speak properly
because she could not stop crying.
For me, the news team
should have not included this in their report. First, I do not think it is
essential to the story. The story regarding the death of the real estate agent
can stand alone without having to show videos of his grieving mother. Second, it
is insensitive to the family of the victim and a violation to their privacy.
Article 7 Section 2 of the KBP Broadcast Code says, “Persons affected by
tragedy or grief shall be treated with sensitivity, respect and discretion;
they should be allowed to suffer their grief in private.”
However, like many
networks, aesthetic value is highly given importance. Videos of crying families
of victims add a dramatic element to the story. For me, it is always important
to be sensitive enough especially to those who are currently emotionally
unstable. If I were in the place of the news team, I would consider whether or
not this is needed to complete the story. If I was able to ask the side of the
family, I would include it in my report without having to show (editor’s: in excessive duration) videos
of them crying. We should always respect the privacy of these people. Using
them to make our stories more dramatic is not only a form of disrespect.
Turning news into drama or adding these kinds of dramatic elements to a report
also challenges the truthfulness of the story.
2012-56259 (2)
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