‘Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity’
Whosoever has studied journalism can associate with this line, first principle of Reporting/Journalism
For those who are new to Journalism or have forgotten these quick recap
Taste, decency and acceptability
Audiences have different reactions to depictions of violence, nudity, coarse language, or to people in any other situation that is unacceptable to or stigmatized by the local culture or laws (such as the consumption of alcohol, homosexuality, illegal drug use, scatological images, etc.). Even with similar audiences, different organizations and even individual reporters have different standards and practices. These decisions often revolve around what facts are necessary for the audience to know.
Disturbing content might be moved from a cover to an inside page, or from daytime to late evening, when children are less likely to be watching. (refer your reporting and editing books)
Now look at these pictures:
Now what do you think; are these pictures in ‘Good Taste’?
You have audience who is following up with the story across the Globe. What message these pictures are portraying?
When I was studying Journalism, I was taught at the time of emergencies stay calm and report facts, do not use short cuts or simple stereotypes to explain, or sensationalize ideas or thoughts relating to a story. This is called Lazy Journalism.
I know how important is TRP and Readership but putting such pictures on the front page of the National News Paper is wrong.
Think about people whose near ones have died in this incident, what kind of image they are left with after looking such pictures. Shame!
Media don’t learn from their past mistakes and for the sake of some pennies reveal secretive information in public via TV, Newspaper, and Radio and alert the culprits.
Please don’t play with the sentiments of the Common People.
Practice Journalism not Lazy Journalism
Witty By Nature! 