DelliGatti_ESMG_4200_Reading_summary_2

James Delli Gatti

Legal and ethical issues related to media disaster coverage

Reference: Andrews, K. (Summer,1989). Airline Disaster Highlights Need for Ethical Coverage: Journalism Educator. Texas Tech University, Texas. Vol. 44 Issue 2, p50-76, 3p

Theme: Legal and ethical issues related to media disaster coverage

Summary: The purpose of this article is to highlight the need for sensitivity toward the victims and the loved ones of the victims of disasters by the mass media; when covering disasters, without compromising the quality and the information presented to the public.  In this article the author mentions several scenarios where reporters were being disruptive during religious sermons that were intended to provide some grief counseling to the families of the victims of the tragedy, as well as calling the homes of known deceased victims with the sole purpose of recording the reactions of the loved ones.

The author goes on to state that while sensitivity of the tragedy should be observed that the job of the reporter is to try to provide an objective assessment of the situation, and provide the community with accurate and up to date information regarding the tragedy, because the tragedy affects more people than just the victims' families and these people also have a right o have access to this information as well.

 

Application to the lesson topic: While the reporters have the ethical obligation to be sensitive to the loved ones of the victims of tragedies our constitution provides for the press to be able to report freely on issues to inform the community as to what is going on around them.

Application to emergency services: Often the news media can arrive on a scene of tragedy while the incident is being mitigated. It is important that the news media be allowed to inform the local population regarding the incident; however it is up to us as emergency service personnel to assist the victims in maintaining some semblance of dignity during the process.