Which do you think would have been a bigger news? Dr. Sher Afgan getting a thrashing from people or (God forbid) Dr. Sher Afgan losing his life while saving himself from people?
Obviously the latter. This is exactly what the media wanted - not the death of Dr. Sher Afgan but the 'bigger' news and it can be anything for that matter. This is the most unfortunate aspect of media reporting.
The other day there was a fire on I.I. Chundrigar Road in one of the buildings. I could see the fire fighter perched up on the snorkel and there was a gentleman besides him in trouser shirt and talking on a cell phone! I might be wrong here but it was most probably a reporter trying to be 'on the spot'. Can it get more ridiculous than that?
Can the reporter not understand that he might be impeding the work of fire fighters? Why did not the fire fighter stop him from coming on-board? Or he just could not because 'may be' the reporter flashed his press badge in his face and told him that he was a reporter and can do anything? Just like the other day in my organization, a reporter was misbehaving with the security guards and demanding that he be let in because he is was a reporter!
When Aitazaz Ahsan was pleading with the crowd to let Dr. Sher Afgan go in peace, he was also requesting the media men to stop airing pictures of the whole drama using their cameras because people obviously were getting more 'attention seekers' and it could result in unfortunate situation. Did the media men stop rolling their cameras? No.
What kind of a society are we becoming when there is no respect for life and dignity and all that matters is getting the attention of people to the 'news'? Will we be soon having incidents in which cameramen will barge into private homes and air their 'stories'? Diana died because of the negligence of the driver and paparazzi - are we heading in the same direction? Remember earthquake of 2005? and the airing of a person dying on TV? I am still disgusted even remembering it (check the link below to know about it).
Unfortunate. This requires attention of society in general and regulators in particular. Limits have to be set.
Related Posts:
- Prudent Broadcasters
- Can One Show a Person Dying Or Being Slaughtered on TV?
2 comments:
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/odds_and_oddities/ultimate_in_unfair.htm
This picture is another example of those limits you are talking about. As you may read on the link the newspaper had to issue a clarification on the fate of the child.
-As ever
Anonymous
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/odds_and_oddities/
ultimate_in_unfair.htm
Post a Comment