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Another Reason to Hate the News Media

4/8/2003 12:11 AM
bob predaina	Another Reason to Hate the News Media Okay, let’s set aside the obvious things, like whether or not they report the truth, whether or not they are biased, whether or not they have an agenda, etc. How about the fact that they are just rude people who are willing to disrupt people’s lives without any regard for the damage that they will do? I attended the funeral for Army Spc. Gregory P. Sanders this morning. It was a cold snowy morning – the weather was befitting, and entirely atypical for April in Northwest Indiana. The funeral was exceptionally well attended, and presumably a number of people who didn’t know the Sanders family well attended to do their part to express their gratitude. Unfortunately, the news media crowded into the event like a crowd of vultures ready for a carion feast. Now I have to admit, I took along a pocket-sized digital camera so that I could discreetly snap some photos for the family. (The Sanders family lives a few blocks away from me). I arrived at the cemetary early, and discreetly positioned myself where I could stand still and silently and unobtrusively take some existing-light photos without disturbing the ceremony. Then the Papperazzi (sp?) arrived. They pushed, they shoved, and they jumped in front of everyone. I must have picked a really good spot, as in a matter of seconds they had surrounded me. One of them pushed my 77 year old mother out of the way so that they could get a better photo. Then he practically leaned over the casket to get a gratuitous photo of an Army General handing Greg’s American flag to his widow. The photographer had no reservations whatsoever about intruding upon the family’s personal space, and standing in everyone else’s way to get his photos. He put himself practically on-top of Greg’s casket, and with his motor drive screeching it became impossible for anyone to hear the General’s comments to Greg’s widow. He also made it impossible for anyone else to take a decent photo, which may have been his prime objective. Thankfully, one of the cemetary’s employees walked up to him and said, “That’s enough,” and told him that he was done taking photos and asked him to respect the family’s privacy. In case anyone’s interested, my photos are posted online: http://www.geocities.com/custom_basses/sanders

4/8/2003 12:11 AM

bob predaina

Another Reason to Hate the News Media

Okay, let’s set aside the obvious things, like whether or not they report the truth, whether or not they are biased, whether or not they have an agenda, etc. How about the fact that they are just rude people who are willing to disrupt people’s lives without any regard for the damage that they will do?

I attended the funeral for Army Spc. Gregory P. Sanders this morning. It was a cold snowy morning – the weather was befitting, and entirely atypical for April in Northwest Indiana. The funeral was exceptionally well attended, and presumably a number of people who didn’t know the Sanders family well attended to do their part to express their gratitude.

Unfortunately, the news media crowded into the event like a crowd of vultures ready for a carion feast.

Now I have to admit, I took along a pocket-sized digital camera so that I could discreetly snap some photos for the family. (The Sanders family lives a few blocks away from me). I arrived at the cemetary early, and discreetly positioned myself where I could stand still and silently and unobtrusively take some existing-light photos without disturbing the ceremony.

Then the Papperazzi (sp?) arrived. They pushed, they shoved, and they jumped in front of everyone. I must have picked a really good spot, as in a matter of seconds they had surrounded me. One of them pushed my 77 year old mother out of the way so that they could get a better photo. Then he practically leaned over the casket to get a gratuitous photo of an Army General handing Greg’s American flag to his widow. The photographer had no reservations whatsoever about intruding upon the family’s personal space, and standing in everyone else’s way to get his photos. He put himself practically on-top of Greg’s casket, and with his motor drive screeching it became impossible for anyone to hear the General’s comments to Greg’s widow. He also made it impossible for anyone else to take a decent photo, which may have been his prime objective. Thankfully, one of the cemetary’s employees walked up to him and said, “That’s enough,” and told him that he was done taking photos and asked him to respect the family’s privacy.

In case anyone’s interested, my photos are posted online:

http://www.geocities.com/custom_basses/sanders

4/8/2003 2:42 AM
Mark Lavelle	I hear you, and agree that such behavior by the press is repulsive, but I think we all need to recognize that it's a symbiotic relationship. If so many people didn't eat this stuff up, if so many people weren't willing to do nearly anything to get on TV (see under "reality shows"), there'd be less of an assumption that it was worth tolerating such bad behavior to oblige them. I think Sean's post re: American Egoism is relevant and largely true (I know I often wonder if I'm in the right country!). What I don't understand is why (apparently) so few people make any serious effort to tell the press to go to hell in situations like that. I'm not trying to apologize or make excuses for the press, just trying to remind folks that we don't all have to go along with them.

4/8/2003 2:42 AM

Mark Lavelle

I hear you, and agree that such behavior by the press is repulsive, but I think we all need to recognize that it's a symbiotic relationship.

If so many people didn't eat this stuff up, if so many people weren't willing to do nearly anything to get on TV (see under "reality shows"), there'd be less of an assumption that it was worth tolerating such bad behavior to oblige them. I think Sean's post re: American Egoism is relevant and largely true (I know I often wonder if I'm in the right country!).

What I don't understand is why (apparently) so few people make any serious effort to tell the press to go to hell in situations like that. I'm not trying to apologize or make excuses for the press, just trying to remind folks that we don't all have to go along with them.

4/8/2003 3:35 AM

bob predaina

quote:
"What I don't understand is why (apparently) so few people make any serious effort to tell the press to go to hell in situations like that. I'm not trying to apologize or make excuses for the press, just trying to remind folks that we don't all have to go along with them."

Mark, in this situation, I think that the reason that alot of us had remained silent was because we didn't want to add to the disturbance that was already taking place at such a solemn event. At least that was my reason for not doing much. I had already addressed one of them about pushing my 77 year old Mom out of the way.

Interestingly (human nature being what it is) the guy that shoved my Mother out of the way was the same guy that ended up leaning over the casket to get in the family's face for a photo as the flag was handed to Greg's widow. My blood started to boil, but I decided that having previously confronted this fellow once before, it was best for me not to be the person who collared him.

I wanted to cheer when the cemetary employee stopped the photographer dead in his tracks. I would have tipped my hat to him had I not already removed it when the casket was brought to the gravesite.

To be fair, I have to say that some members of the press were fairly reasonable. I think that alot of them just absentmindedly do what they do because they're thinking about their job, and not thinking about what they're doing to other people. When the cemetary employee made it clear that enough was enough, everyone was kind enough to put their cameras down at their sides -- except for that one jerk that counted to three and fired-up his screeching autodrive once again. Then the rest of them followed like sheep.

Now I understand why these guys get punched in the face and end up having their cameras smashed by people who don't like them.

bob

4/8/2003 6:44 AM
John Fisher	I used to do a lot of photography and I must say it's a dirty job. Unless you are willing to be somewhat bold and obnoxios you won't be very sucessful. I can tell you stories about reporters that you wouldn't believe. They can be quite heartless. John Fisher

4/8/2003 9:30 AM
Michael Tousek	Unless you are willing to be somewhat bold and obnoxios you won't be very sucessful. Yeah, unfortunately I think that's what it boils down to. The press is pushy and intrusive because that's the behavior that it gets rewarded for. We'll generally prefer to buy the paper or watch the news that has the close-up of the grieving widow rather than the one where their photographer stayed a respectful distance away. The press exists right at the friction point between the individual's desire to have his undisturbed moment and the public's desire to witness that moment and, in so doing, disturb it. MT

4/8/2003 9:30 AM

Michael Tousek

Unless you are willing to be somewhat bold and obnoxios you won't be very sucessful.

Yeah, unfortunately I think that's what it boils down to. The press is pushy and intrusive because that's the behavior that it gets rewarded for. We'll generally prefer to buy the paper or watch the news that has the close-up of the grieving widow rather than the one where their photographer stayed a respectful distance away. The press exists right at the friction point between the individual's desire to have his undisturbed moment and the public's desire to witness that moment and, in so doing, disturb it.

MT

4/8/2003 2:02 PM
Mark Hammer	One of the sad things about the large-scale ownership of media is that if you can sell one of your photos to one of these multi-newspaper, multi-TV-station conglomerates, you have it made in the shade. Naturally, the opportunity to go from rags to riches motivates a lot of the shameless and tasteless behaviour of the press. Generally, any time people feel they are risking a lot by NOT doing something, they will do it. (I'm one of those who believes that if you had Olympics every year, most of the doping and drug use would evaporate. Personally, I think the perception of "my last chance for 4 more years" drives the desperate use of performance enhancing drugs.) If every last one of these folks were shooting pictures for one small-town newspaper, I think you'd see a very different sort of respect in their behaviour. In Bob's case, he was doing a favour for friends, not looking for a money-making opportunity, so his behaviour was very different from those around him with very different motives. I think I've made my general rejection of the current military action known. That being said, as much as I was and continue to be against it, one needs to respect folks who are willing to go to the wall for what they believe is the honourable and right thing to do. Would that we all lived our lives that way. So, if it should come to this, let the family know that (even) a Canadian anti-war guy says their boy lived and died trying to uphold what he believed in and will always be remembered for that - a short life, but not a small life. I hope that when his buddies come back, they will contact the Sanders family, and confirm that their son was always there for his buddies. You can raise your kids to grow up right and be principled, and while in your heart of hearts you believe it, it means so much more to hear it from others. If they can't have their son, I hope they get that gift.

4/8/2003 2:02 PM

Mark Hammer

One of the sad things about the large-scale ownership of media is that if you can sell one of your photos to one of these multi-newspaper, multi-TV-station conglomerates, you have it made in the shade. Naturally, the opportunity to go from rags to riches motivates a lot of the shameless and tasteless behaviour of the press. Generally, any time people feel they are risking a lot by NOT doing something, they will do it. (I'm one of those who believes that if you had Olympics every year, most of the doping and drug use would evaporate. Personally, I think the perception of "my last chance for 4 more years" drives the desperate use of performance enhancing drugs.) If every last one of these folks were shooting pictures for one small-town newspaper, I think you'd see a very different sort of respect in their behaviour. In Bob's case, he was doing a favour for friends, not looking for a money-making opportunity, so his behaviour was very different from those around him with very different motives.

I think I've made my general rejection of the current military action known. That being said, as much as I was and continue to be against it, one needs to respect folks who are willing to go to the wall for what they believe is the honourable and right thing to do. Would that we all lived our lives that way. So, if it should come to this, let the family know that (even) a Canadian anti-war guy says their boy lived and died trying to uphold what he believed in and will always be remembered for that - a short life, but not a small life. I hope that when his buddies come back, they will contact the Sanders family, and confirm that their son was always there for his buddies. You can raise your kids to grow up right and be principled, and while in your heart of hearts you believe it, it means so much more to hear it from others. If they can't have their son, I hope they get that gift.

4/8/2003 8:23 PM
Matt in TX	That really is sad. It's a problem we have created with our addiction to news and such morbid things. Sad. That sort of thing ended up killing Princess Diana in a round-a-bout way.

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