Have media gone too far in portraying crash survivor?
Last Wednesday’s crash of a Libyan airliner with 104 people on board yielded one sole survivor: 9-year-old Ruben from Tilburg. The boy, who lost both his parents and his brother in the crash, became a celebrity overnight as footage of him lying in his Tripoli hospital bed was broadcast around the planet.
Some are now asking whether journalists have gone too far in pursuit of the story. Dutch daily De Telegraaf sparked controversy in the Netherlands last Friday, when it published a phone interview with the child who – apparently – wasn’t even aware of the full extent of his own personal tragedy.
Politicians of all stripes were quick to condemn what they saw as pointless prying and exploitation of Ruben’s plight. De Telegraaf has since issued a half-hearted apology, stating it regretted it readers had “been made to feel as if De Telegraaf had acted incorrectly” and that it would practice more restraint in its future dealings with relatives of the crash victims.
The incident has stirred a recurring debate that pits the public’s right to know against the individual’s right to privacy. Few would argue that the story of the Ruben’s survival in itself should not be reported, but how much of it should be? Do media audiences worldwide need to know his (last) name, his hometown or his age? Should pictures of him be broadcast? Can he be interviewed? And what type of harm lies in disclosing these facts exactly?
Wednesday 19 May 2010, 17:03
Ruben’s grandparents are now responsible for him and should not have allowed him to give the phone interview. You cannot blame the press here. They just want a good story to sell papers
Monday 24 May 2010, 0:57
No, you mustn’t blame the press. It’s not like they are responsible adults is it? Let’s leave it up to some elderly pensioners who have just had almost their entire family wiped out in the most horrific manner while the rest of us gawp at their one surviving young grandson. Well done Vanessa, I say we go further and let the press make stuff up, break into homes and maybe rough a few people up too. After all, they might get a good story that way and if that’s what it’s about, the press can’t be blamed can they Vanessa?
Wednesday 26 May 2010, 8:41
Yes, I think that you can blame the press. They don’t have any sens of responsibility. They were only interviewing Ruben, because of the good story what can cause a really high selling percentage. They should be ashamed of themselves. And as a reaction on Vanessa. When they are interviewing people just becasue they want a good story for there newspaper it isn’t wrong?
Monday 31 May 2010, 9:02
Have the readers and viewers gone too far following the story?
Not only a good story sells the papers. High selling percentage is caused by… buyers.
Success oriented journalist are unconscious hunters, trying to satisfy people’s hunger for shocking stories.