What a bruising day!
I am Patron of SAMM NI, which is Support After Murder and Manslaughter in Northern Ireland. They commissioned some research from the University of Ulster, into (a) how the media report murders and (b) the relationship between journalists and relatives. This in itself led SAMM NI to make a call for a new Journalists’ Code and a NI Press Ombudsman, and today they had their media launch of the research and the call. They have also forwarded the research and call to the Leveson Inquiry in London.
It has been interesting to watch the media’s reaction.
First, there was the issue of the research being based on “only” ten interviewees. Three points occur. 1. The research is qualitative not quantitative, aimed at an in-depth analysis of how people feel, rather than the percentages who thinks one way or another. The methodology, therefore, is to spend more time with less people. 2. SAMM NI has approximately 90 members, so at around 10%, that’s a pretty robust sample, even for quantitative research (I believe to conduct a NI-wide quantitative survey of our population of 1.8 million, you need only speak to between 1300 and 1400 people – less than 0.1% of the population). 3. If ten relatives of murder victims are unhappy with the way they were treated and reported by the media, surely that merits examination? That said, now that it has been pointed out to me that the report did not explicitly state the number of interviewees was ten, I accept it would have been better to name that number. I am cross with myself for not spotting that, and allowing it to deflect from the focus on the relatives and their feelings.
Second, there is no suggestion the University of Ulster endorses the call for the Code and Ombudsman. SAMM NI is making that call, based on the report.
Third, the media is keen to point out that they often behave impeccable. I agree, but the point is similar to the fact that one bad meal can ruin a restaurant’s reputation: how you handle yourself when things go wrong is critical.
I would add only this; it would be good if today is not an end in itself, because journalists appear unhappy with what SAMM NI are saying about them, and SAMM NI are unhappy with the way their research and call is being reported – a lose, lose.
What would be better, to my mind, would be to allow today to give rise to further discussion on a better way forward. Given these relatives lost loved ones to murder and manslaughter, never asking nor wanting to be in the media spotlight, and have no reason to understand how the media works, further conversations would be useful.
Relatives of Murder Victims and the Media
18 01 2012
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That conversation will be facilitated by the NUJ particlarly on the subject of a Press Ombudsman.
Relatives of murder/manslaughter victims have enough grief, without being subjected to headline grabbing media hanging on every moment of the grief. Everything is always done in the interests of ‘what,’ a headline, a heart rending grief portrayal of relatives.
Any death is a grieving time, let people grieve in peace, it doesn’t happen too often here, but consider the recent cases of grieving relatives being ‘tormented’ by gangs of press hovering round the door of relatives. Is it society as a whole has become ghoulish in wanting to observe this grief.
Media nearly always retort with ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ but how low has society sunk, when grief is a private thing to be shared/endured by relatives, is publicly displayed as the latest headline or soundbite. Media appears to have become headline grabbers as opposed to being journalists reporting with empathy.
Northern Ireland has had 40 years of grief, perhaps we’ve had enough to last us.
Lets concentrate on ‘news’ – postive things, we could do with a few with these grim economic times or even highlighting good news stories rather than reporting the sad facts let journalists find new developments, new ideas or is that too much like hard work. Is it me or does society want to rake the muck and wallow in it
I agree. The Press and media generally are, or tend to be, far too intrusive on the privacy of ordinary individuals in search of their “story”! We are told it is “in the public interest” for this to be so! Sadly, the good behaviour of all is badly besmirched by the disgraceful behaviour of the few. At the end of the day, the Press and their rogue photographers, are guilty of tormenting and intruding on private grief. They do have to be made to behave themselves. I am not in favour of denying free speech, but if they cannot abide by a few humane rules of good behaviour, then they should indeed be dealt with in a salutory way. There is little doubt that the cause of Princess Diana’s fatal car crash was due to over eager and greedy rogue press photographers persuing her. Also, the undeniable harrassment of the Peter Robinson family by the BBC was a disgrace, no matter what one may think.