On reporting of tragedies ...

I don’t read obituaries. It has been a while. I never even peruse the news items on tragedies, terror attacks, air crashes and the like. Can’t remember from when but has been so for a while. So am I scared of such news items – maybe I am! Maybe that is why, in spite of lot of advice on picking on a writing career, I never considered a career of a journalist. Whether it is the print journalist who thrives in romanticizing every calamity or the sheer bravado of the TV journalist trivializing every iota of respect by pestering near and dear ones of martyrs, my blood curdles when I see the naked disregard for others.
And then you see the mockery on the television screens of every channel covering an air crash in Mangalore! Well, I do agree that people are entitled to hear the truth related every such event and be aware of causal factors because that is when the civil authorities work their best. It is also very imminent that the factors of resolution become part of daily mitigation operations going forward. It is also one of the fundamental tenets of risk management – never to lose an opportunity to learn from an untoward incident.
But are we learning here? Or are we tickling our sadistic vein which loves to hear and see gore and derive some perverted voyeuristic pleasure from all this footage. The answer is both is not remotely attached to what the media should be doing which is
1. Report the tragedy
2. Understand the ‘why ‘ and ‘how’
3. Ask the relevant questions
4. Close the footage with homage to the deceased and polite prayer for their souls
That is it ! And what do we see – television channels using ever simulator available to re do the crash and with back ground music ! Well, my friend in the media, I don’t see audience foot tapping to the disaster background music ! Having no empathy is pardonable but public mockery and apathy – is criminal.
My heart goes with the survived and the relatives of the deceased. God give you the strength to continue on ! Life adjusts but never becomes normal again. For the souls , I wish I could say what was written on a cenotaph at Hiroshima – “Rest in peace, for the mistake shall not be repeated…”
Amen !