JOURNALISM OR OBSENITY?
Yesterday, I thought the world had come to an end. The Headline in the Vancouver Sun newspaper was so bold and so large and so simple, I thought it was the return of the Plague. "DAY ONE" was the trumpet announcement.
This morning we found this: "He murdered them, he butchered them and he disposed of their remains."
Now clearly the trial of a man who is alleged to have killed 6 women, and who most of us believe has killed at least 30, is worthy of coverage. It is big, it is expensive, it is full of lurid and horrible detail. And the job of a newspaper is to report on exactly such atrocities in our communities.
But this?
Page after page of photos and diagrams.
SOON I WILL ADD A DAILY POLL FUNCTION TO THE BLOG.
But, until then, you tell me: The Sun coverage is 1) excellent? 2) way over the top? 3) beyond hysterical? 4) appropriate? or 5) an abandonment of all reason.
1 comment:
From the get go of this trial I've sat back and wondered about the motivations of some/all the journalists involved. Sure, all are telling themselves that this is an important story to cover. But does this justify the circus-like atmosphere out in New Westminster?
You'll never be able to convince me that at least some of these news people aren't rubbing their hands in glee about the increased attention to them because of the voyeuristic gene ever present in the brains of too many people.
Quick note: The story made it onto the BBC 4 Radio News at 6:04am, so it clearly is a big story. I just happen to be not that interested in it.
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