This is a clear example of how not to deal with a sensitive issue. When delivering high concern messages being compassionate is of the utmost importance, it is essential to listen to those who are suffering and deal with it in an appropriate manner.
The video below shows how families have had to fight through
reporters and cameras in their face, you can see the pain they are in and
surely any humane person would know that a death of a loved one is the worst
thing any person can go through. Yet, the media still choose to hound these
people who are clearly suffering!
http://live.wsj.com/video/mother-reacts-to-news-son-is-on-missing-plane/D68F883A-7B76-4AC3-B1EC-9822473FA0A3.html?mod=e2tw#!D68F883A-7B76-4AC3-B1EC-9822473FA0A3
No
compassionate person would want to see this! As caring human beings
our natural instinct is to sympathise with those people who are suffering. Not
the media though! Their natural instinct was to put a camera in the face of the
distressed.
However, it seems the media have not been so sympathetic. Posting photos of grieving families has shown how hungry they are for a newsworthy story, even at the expense of others.
WSJ had clearly not thought about what kind of reaction
posting this grief porn would attract. The first thing I think they should have done
was:
1. Pay attention to and understand the feelings of the families in pain.
If they had listened and empathised with the families their first reaction would not have been to film their agony. If the media had kept a good relationship with the families and offered sympathy before trying to get a story they could have acquired a better story once the families had a chance to calm down from the initial shock.
This example of insensitivity can be related to every day life. For example, redundancy is a very sensitive issue which can also be heartbreaking and resemble a great loss. When making people redundant managers can often look past the feelings of their employees and simply "do their job". I think in everyday life it is important to bring compassion into what we do and think about how other people are feeling, because although you may just be doing your job the person opposite you is suffering and if you were in their position you would want someone to show sensitivity and appreciation of the situation.
1. Pay attention to and understand the feelings of the families in pain.
If they had listened and empathised with the families their first reaction would not have been to film their agony. If the media had kept a good relationship with the families and offered sympathy before trying to get a story they could have acquired a better story once the families had a chance to calm down from the initial shock.
This example of insensitivity can be related to every day life. For example, redundancy is a very sensitive issue which can also be heartbreaking and resemble a great loss. When making people redundant managers can often look past the feelings of their employees and simply "do their job". I think in everyday life it is important to bring compassion into what we do and think about how other people are feeling, because although you may just be doing your job the person opposite you is suffering and if you were in their position you would want someone to show sensitivity and appreciation of the situation.
What do you think about how the media has posted news about
this tragedy? Is there another way you think that the media could have dealt
with this issue? How would you go about dealing with high concern messages? Please comment your views.
My prayers and love go out to the victims of the Malaysia
Airlines.
Nikita
I think any human being after watching those clips and reading about this issue will be feeling a lot of pain for the families that are suffering. It must be horrible finding out news so tragic and then having people standing in front of you with a camera recording your reaction. At the same time, this is a public investigation and news that has spread all over the world. People across the world have been following the story into the missing plane and waiting for the news too. Its not like a normal everyday family loss. The news is tragic but it had too be filmed because its such a public issue. These camera men/women have bills to pay and families to feed, they may seem insensitive for what they have done, but they had to do it as its their job. As bad as it sounds they want to see these families scream and cry and make a scene. - That is how it works these days.The media will do whatever they can to get a good story. I cant imagine what the families are going through right now.
ReplyDeleteHi Charl,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I can understand what you are saying, as a PR practitioner I know the importance of getting a newsworthy story but as human being with a heart I think that there are other ways of reporting a story, finding out your loved ones might be dead must be the hardest thing in the world but then having to do it in front of a camera then being constantly reminded of that moment by the photo caption or recording of you must be more pain than any one has ever felt.
The twitter backlash clearly shows other people feel the same. I can see why you think the need to make money but should a small wage come before the families who have been involved in a tragic incident? Those victims are not getting their families back, the media is going to go home and sleep fine, they could have just given the families some respect and let them grieve in peace.
I agree that this is how it works these days but I think the media need to learn from this and include some taste and sensitivity in their reporting and be more empathetic towards the people they are reporting on.
Thank you
Nikita