Questionable media coverage

Our news media often lacks sensitivity when it comes to covering stories on bomb blasts and other acts of terrorism. Why do media outlets show a blood-splattered body lying on the ground? Can we not please have reporters asking relatives of the victims silly questions like, “How are you feeling now that your family member has passed away?” All this happens while sad music plays in the background and the mother or sister of the victim is shown crying.

I came across a video recently. It was an interview of the family of a child who lost his life in the Army Public School attack. The interviewer asked the younger sister of the boy, “Your brother has gone away forever; will you celebrate his birthday now?” The little girl could not say anything and started crying. And this is what the reporter wanted: her tears. This means that his report will get a good rating.

The issue is not only with the reporters here. It lies with the culture prevalent in the media as a whole. Reporters are encouraged to do stories from angles that get more ratings, whether by making fun of someone’s tears or by showing a body. If a reporter does not want to ask sensitive questions, he may even be forced to do so to get more viewership.

The media in general needs to change its attitude. There is a need to show some seriousness towards covering issues like terrorism. Proper training is required in the reporting arena, where every reporter must be well-trained to cover such events. In fact, this training should extend to all personnel and should not be limited to reporters only.

One simple solution that can change this situation a bit is by placing those individuals as directors of news who have some reporting experience. Such individuals will know how reporters cover events and what difficulties they face while doing their jobs. In such a scenario, reporters will not be bound to ask the kind of insensitive questions they often end up asking.

The issue of the lack of sensitivity in the way the media covers sensitive topics needs to be handled in a proactive manner. Just as minor hazards can turn into huge disasters if prior planning is not done by those responsible to mitigate their adverse impact, the media also needs to focus on this issue before the pursuit of ratings morphs into a bigger problem.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2015.