Reading Summary #2 From Mike Wayman

I seem to have 'issues' with the blog.

I haven't seen a score for summary #2 and so i thought I'd resend it just in case

I'm sorry, I'll keep trying to figur it out....I blame my age :-)

Mike Wayman

Ethics and Trauma: Lessons from media coverage of Black Saturday

Mike Wayman

Reference:

 Muller, Denis. February, 2010. Ethics and Trauma: Lessons from media coverage of Black Saturday. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, Vol 18(1). pp. 5-10.

Theme:

What lines do the media cross or not cross for a story.

Summary:

·       Covering Victoria's 'Black Saturday' bush fires in February 2009 traumatized many of the media people involved, and confronted them with many difficult ethical dilemmas." (Muller,1). 

·       The issue was how to treat the scene, the survivors and the pressure from editors, rivals, authorities and victims. 

·       The Center for Advanced Journalism at the University of Melbourne used this experience as it's first research project.  They interviewed 28 people from all aspects of the media, including on scene reporters, studio anchors, camera men and photographers.  They found that even 3-6 months later many of those interviewed still had an emotional response to what they saw and experienced. 

·       The findings were broken down into five categories, access, treatment of people, maelstrom of pressure, deciding what to publish and emotional impact.

·        Under access the biggest thing addressed was how the media viewed and dealt with roadblocks. The answers to how they handled a roadblock was, find another way in, get past by chance, get past by deception, resist deception, accept the roadblock.  Overwhelmingly the media expressed their desire to get the story trumped unethically getting around the roadblock.   Another ethical dilemma was whether or not to go onto private property.  Again the media had a variety of answers to this ethical query.  Some didn't go on private property, others only when "a little" bit on, others went on until asked to leave, some were taken to the scene by residents and shown around.  

·       As for the treatment of the survivors and victims, there's no set in stone standard but most media held to the same moral code.  Prior consent was needed for identifiable individuals. People should be asked only once, refusal should be accepted, and people will not be badgered. Close-up intrusion on grief or moments of intimacy can and should be avoided.  It is a betrayal to of survivors and victims to not follow up and check on them.  Intrusion is unavoidable but it should be minimized.  (Muller, 7).  Through these interviews sometimes the media comes away with information that is sensitive and personnel.  But it's also newsworthy, so the moral dilemma is to share the story or to respect the privacy of those most affected. 

·       The maelstrom of pressure is always the driving force of any news outlet.  There are four main pressures on the media, editors, rivals, authorities, survivors and victims.   The news desk demands stories from survivors.  Rivals want the same.  There's also the problem with the authorities, they always know more than they are willing to share. 

·       Then the dilemma of what to report or not report as you hear from survivors in the depths of their despair and grief.  Then the issue was the impact of what was reported.  What is viewed as breaking news and may be a scoop for one news station, may have that station win the night, but at what cost? 

·       Referring to the beginning of the article when media was reported to still being affected 3-6 months later, that also applied to the survivors.  It's the responsibility of the media to publish or air cautiously.  The effects of what they say and show last and never go away.

 

 

Application to Lesson Topic

This article took one disaster but applied it across the board as questions all members of the media should be asking.  If they aren't willing to ask, then the people on the ground need to have these issues addressed and prepared for.

Application to Emergency Services:

This article didn't really answer any questions.  It seemed to ask more than answer.  But the application to emergency services is if an emergency services department takes the questions approached in this article and has a plan to address them, I think it will help in future emergencies to deal with the media.  These questions, if answered with the survivors and victims best interest in mind,  are a good blue print with how to deal with the inevitable media.