ab015511@ohio.edu
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The news cycle for our modern day is a 24/7 cycle. Breaking
news is around every corner. Editors now have near minutes to decide whom and
want to report on. This case with a tragedy also includes deciding on how to
report on the victim.
We, as journalists, walk a very fine line when it comes to
reporting on victims in the media. As journalists, we try to focus on
minimizing harm to the victim while still giving our readers the full and fair
story. Victims of tragedies often become
overnight “celebrities” in our world. Where is the line drawn on respecting
their privacy, but also reporting a good story?
The Good
The media is not always a bad thing. There have been many
times when a victim or a victim’s family has used the media spotlight to shed
light onto the issue. They use the media
as a voice to share their own thoughts and opinions. Take, for example, the Conradt
family of Oregon. Their son Max was a football star. During a game in 2001, Max
suffered from a concussion that caused permanent brain damage. This family and friends used the media to
draw attention to the issue, and now “Max’s Law” requires coaches to have
annual training on how to recognize concussion symptoms and remove an athlete
suspected of a concussion,
The Bad
The cameras are always rolling when it comes to news.
Sometimes, though, this is not so great for the victims. As journalists, we
must try to keep the victims feelings in the back of our mind while reporting.
We must keep in mind that the victim is still trying to cope with something
horrible that has happened to them. This does not always happen. Take, for
example, the shootings at Sandy Hooke in Newtown, CT. One of the victims mother
wrote a blog on the 1-year anniversary of the tragedy. In the blog she says, "I will be honest, I hate when the
media comes into town. I don't like seeing their vans with large satellite
dishes parked on every corner. I don't like reporters bothering me to comment
or give interviews about the 'latest' findings with the case. I don't like
seeing my daughter's picture on the news associated with her violent death. “
The media often times can open up old
wounds that the victims are trying to heal from.
What do we do?
So how do we handle this? How can we not hurt the victim,
but still report on the facts? Frank Ochberg,
a professor at the Michigan State University School of Journalism, runs the
Victims and Media Program. In a blog post he explains that we must take the
greatest care of our victims. He wrote that we must define the victim first
before we can take action.
I believe
that, while deciding to report on a victim, you must consider the victim first.
We must decide if this report is going to harm the victim more than help the victim.
This then will lead to the true story.
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