If it Bleeds it Leads

Sam Abood
sa533707@ohio.edu

Photo courtesy of poachedmag.com

It is a journalist’s role to inform the public about what they want to know. The public often craves personal details about tragedies in order to comprehend the severity of the situation. But what happens when a curious journalist meets an emotional, tight-lipped source? The articles assigned for this blog address three different issues in which members of the media could stand to improve.

Lack of Sensitivity

In the article titled “How the media treated me," a man by the name of Bruce Shapiro was stabbed multiple times at a coffee shop in Connecticut. He was particularly offended when he saw footage of himself after the attack being used on television in a story that did not correlate to the attack in which he sustained his wounds.

The same article highlights a man who lost his wife in a school shooting. The man spoke about how reporters posed as grieving family members in order to gain access to him. Once the individuals gained access to his house they took liberties such as moving his furniture and making themselves coffee.

A journalist begins to overstep their boundaries when they ignore the feelings and considerations of those with whom they are working. It is important to remember that people respond best when treated with respect.

A Sense of Urgency can Compromise Quality

The advancement of the Internet and technology has revolutionized the world of news. These advancements drastically reduce the time it takes to share news and information. All of this has led to a shared expectation of breaking news to be instantaneous. In order to meet these new expectations many journalists have begun to compromise the quality of their work in order to be the first to a story.

A loss of credibility is the result of sloppy work. Stating the wrong facts on one isolated incident can stick with a journalist for their entire career. Rather than being recognized and celebrated as the first to break a story it is essential to view your career long term and make sure you have your story straight.

Empowering Murderers through Recognition

A copycat murderer is the term used for someone who attempts to recreate a murder. The technique of censoring personal information about murderers is an idea that has begun to gain momentum as of late. Those in favor of this technique argue that these types of murders are done to draw attention to oneself.

By making these individuals anonymous we are now removing their opportunity to become famous. Censorship of personal information about murderers removes a compelling aspect of the story and would require extensive police and media cooperation. This new technique would be revolutionary for the news industry and would require so much change from so many people that I argue that it cannot be done.

As it is with most professions, change is necessary to keep up with the times. Journalists have adapted in order to stay relevant throughout the years. In conclusion, in order to be the best journalist possible in today's environment it is essential to acknowledge and correct the issues previously mentioned.