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There have, sadly, been two rather nasty accidents in the last two days. Yesterday – two light aircraft collided near Coventry killing all on board and today a coach left the road near Alton, tumbled down an embankment and ended up in someones garden. One man has died as a result and many are injured.
I happened to be watching a BBC TV news broadcast not long after each of these tragedies. Following the air collision in which, I believe, 5 died, the newsreader was apologising for not being able to interview the paramedics on the spot. Tonight, following the coach crash, they were apologising for not being able to get live TV pictures from the actual scene.
When did this happen? This is the kind of journalism that belongs in the Rupert Murdoch arena. It’s tabloid or it’s Fox News (OK I know that’s the USA but they thrive on this sort of thing). We are being apologised to by the BBC News team for what? Not showing us the bodies? For not seeing the blood? Because they were unable to show us injured and deeply traumatised people struggling to crawl out from the wreckage of a coach?
Apparently nowadays we need to be entertained not informed…people died in a crash…for some thats enough…for many just the start of a drama…victims, relatives…all grist for the mill.
Thuds last blog post..True Brit 12
It’s the same school of journalism as the one where they point a camera at someone and ask “How did you feel when you learned your whole family had been killed?” and then just pause – - – .
Is the public clamouring to know such things and to see such things? I think not.
Daphnes last blog post..A Summer’s Afternoon in the Hospital
My better half is somewhat older than I, and when married to her hubby, who was a tyre engineer for Dunlop on F1 racing he told a few stories. Here’s one of them ,when there was a smash on F1, the pit crews would see the smoke and wait for their guy to race past, when he didn’t they would pile into a car and race at stupid speeds across the venue to stop what they called “the ghouls”, more than once the pit crews’ beat the crap out of some spectator who had got the blood covered helmet (the prize) off the dead driver and was trying to get away with it, any bit of car would do, but they would rather have blood covered.
It’s not journalism to blame, we are still the same sick creatures that watched the Gladiators in Rome.
Gah! I get so angry at this response to crashes and such. It’s like people who cause tailbacks on motorways after an accident, not because they need to slow down to avoid further trouble but because of morbid fascination. Malc’s right, it’s not new, it’s not reality TV’s fault (for a change), it’s the sicker side of human nature and it’s as old as time. That doesn’t mean I understand it.
@Jeni & @Malc & @Daphne:
Oh I agree it’s human nature and agree it’s not a side of human nature to be proud of. I wasn’t putting the blame on journalists – this has been going on since we were apes I’m sure. I was simply suggesting that it really isn’t that long ago that journalists (on the whole) and TV news especially, were a little more responsible, circumspect and respectful. This was true of organisations like the BBC and ITN.
Have a look at this… http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7576821.stm
Remember this is the same guy who lost his job for lying.
part of the quote is this….”Broadcasters are under pressure to make “niche, marginal and worthy” primetime shows when they should be urged to be entertaining, a senior TV figure says.”
I thought this was spot on “”Try hanging them outside a West End theatre. See who buys a ticket,” he added.”
So I as I read it – ratings matter , sod quality, and if we have to suffer more reality crap, then there is no point spending resources on informative news items, so blood and guts it is !
I think it rather proves that we are in a minority and lowest common denominator rules.
and there’s more http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6962793.stm
“At times like this, when the television hurricane hits a story, it too often sucks good sense and consideration out of the brains of those involved.”
Think you’re right Andy.
@Malc: Thanks. A good couple of links here. it’s interesting that my favourite expression for describing the current state of just about everything is ‘lowest common denominator’. It’s the PC culture that effects everything and dumbs everything down to just that. When it comes to the media and entertainment industry, another way of saying it is ‘media studies graduates’!
Hello again, Andy!…I hope this comment doesn’t get lost in the larger discussion of the lack of sensitivity among(st) telly broadcasters, but I decided to return your kind favo(u)r and give you a “Kick-Ass Blogger” award. As the truckers might say on their CB’s, “Back atcha, Yellow Swordfish.”
Come on over to my blog and pick it up!
Bob Bragues last blog post..I have received another award