I was reading the National Post's coverage on Virgina Tech.
On page three (April 17), there was a collage of photographs from other school shootings. One particular photo was of a victim from École Polytechnique. She was sitting "slumped" in a chair, while an investigator gathers evidence. To be honest, I was very disturbed by the photo.
Not in the sense that I was looking at a dead body. Rather, I was disturbed in the sense that someone will look at the woman and recognize her, as either their daughter, relative, or close friend. They are going to have to relive the horror. Anyone who has ever had to identify a loved one in a morgue, will also have to relive the horror. That's a dreadful thing to experience and I feel the National Post made a bad decision by printing this photo.
I am fully aware that journalism is about providing all the necessary details. But sometimes, you have to break the rules if it's for a greater good. Everyone knows about the damage caused by these senseless acts. It doesn't need to be put out there bluntly. Out of respect for the woman's family, the National Post should not have printed this photo. They could have easily picked another photo that was less graphic, but still conveys the trauma.
This is just my opinion. However, I am interested in your take on the photo. Did the National Post make the wrong choice?
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2 comments:
Sadly it's called "If It Bleeds It Leads" it's been the trend in the US for many years now and is slowly creeping into Canada. It's a sad, desperate form of journalism where you try to grab readers, viewers and/or listeners with gore, fear and sensationalism
I, too, saw that photo and was a bit disturbed by it. It certainly caught my attention, but I think a better photo that wasn't trying to 'compete' with the main story would have been more appropriate.
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