Jul 29 2009
A Writer’s Responsibility
One of the newspapers I read more regularly is The Courier Mail (QLD, Australia) and The Australian. It’s the best way for me to keep in touch and abreast of what’s going on at home as I’m 25,000km away for an indefinite amount of time.
Today, I read an article in both of these papers about a tragic incident due to the irresponsibility of a radio station. The radio station 2Day FM has a Lie Detector segment that requires listeners to call in and sit a lie detector test. Sounds like fun, something like the new television program ‘Moment of Truth’ which in all honesty is rather silly and whoever is going on it is only asking for trouble.
A14-year old girl revealed she had been raped when she was 12. This is a tragic story that should not have been broadcast on the radio, and before any lie detector test was taken, the broadcasters and organisers should have found out more about what was going to be revealed on the live breakfast show. For a journalist it was rather irresponsible.
A journalist has the responsibility and obligation to be ethical, moral and have good judgement. It can’t always be about the story, people need to matter too. The newspapers have claimed that it was done to create a shock factor. I’m sure that it was. What was even worse however, is that the mother pushed the daughter knowing very well what her response was going to be.
„Her mother asked her daughter: “Have you ever had sex?” The 14-year-old replied: “I’ve already told you the story about this … and don’t look at me and smile because its not funny.” „ - The Australian 29.7.09 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25853031-7582,00.html
The radio host didn’t respond well, ‘Right …. is that the only experience you’ve had?’
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25852706-953,00.html
Not exactly the most appropriate thing to say especially since the girl seemed frightened and concerned about the outcome. But more importantly what was the mother thinking of bringing her there in the first place?
If you’re a journalist, whether for radio, television, newspaper, magazine or blog it’s important to look beyond the story and ask yourself whether you are doing the right thing. We read many stories where certain elements could have been avoided but the shock value made the story more popular. Popular stake might improve over the short time but how is it going to effect you over the long term. Do you want to be a journalist who shocks or one who is respected?
Yes we live in a world where freedom of speech is available. But freedom of speech also needs to have its limits. It’s always best to think before you speak, and think before you write. Nothing you write or say, irrespective of the payment, will be worth it if it hurts another human being.
Writers have power in spreading information, news and stories from their own lives, their communities and from around the world. We’re all very well aware that sex sells, violence sells, shock sells, tragedy sells. Yes, it does. But what does this say about us? Over the past few decades the news have gotten more shocking, we have become desensitised and it’s become more and more difficult for the media or a story to really shock us.
How do you think the media has changed over the past thirty years in what and how they broadcast or present the news?
Should journalists think about any possible repercussions before printing, or even writing a story or is it their job to print everything regardless of the consequences?
I fail to see how a radio show is writing. It’s clearly broadcast media. As we saw from the horror of certain science fiction works being played on the radio and being confused with facts, it is obvious that media which is considered “news” must keep it’s audience in mind.
The advantage of writing is you have the time to consider your work before it is recorded. If you consider newspaper articles, they have to be approved and edited before they go to print. There are extra layers of protection there, and a delay before release. A live broadcast is much different.
Please do not misunderstand, I think this was an irresponsible act which could have easily been prevented with a little more prescreening. I also think that when one is doing a live performance, be it television, radio, or even street acting, the immediacy of the results should be considered.
To say that writers as a whole should censor their work is borderline offensive. Most of that borders on opinion anyway. Some of the most society altering and dramatic events of our century have come about because of well though out writing which spoke against the events of the time; consider Martin Luther’s edicts nailed to the church doors! If you had titled this article “A radio Jock’s responsibilities” I would be fully in agreement, provided you replace every other example of “writer” with “Performer” or “media agent”. However as it stands I can not concur.
Writers definitely have more time to deliberate what they have written before it goes into print. Broadcast media and writing may be a little bit different, but they are still a form of media that is communicating with the public. We will always hear tragic things, but when it comes to children certain issues should be censored.
I don’t mean all writers should censor their work nor am I trying to offend anyone. If they do however, write or broadcast certain sensitive issues related to children and events that can really damage a person psychologically, some care should be taken to avoid negative repercussions. Whether it’s broadcast media, television news, or newspapers the journalist/broadcaster should use common sense when communicating with the reader or listener and consider the harm that their story, or broadcast might cause. Please don’t get me wrong, I realise that this can not always be done certain stories need to be discussed, written about, read and shown to the world.
My mistake here was generalising writers and broadcasters as one, and not speaking specifically about the issue in question. I see both forms as a type of communication and expression aimed at the public and here when it came to writing about this issue I acted in haste. My apologies if I have offended anyone, this was not my intention, it was to simply point out that we must as writers/journalists/broadcasters consider the repercussions of our words whether written or spoken. How we do this, will depend on the type of communication we use.
Thank you for your comments, they are greatly appreciated.