commodifying tragedy
I felt sick today when I found out about the shooting at Virginia Tech. I can't imagine what the students who witnessed this tragedy are going throgh and I can't imagine the suffering and grief being experienced by the family members who have lost their sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters.
I was also sickened by the response of our media. This tragedy, like many before, has become a media circus. Victims and fellow students have been paraded out and interviewed before any of them have had a chance to overcome the shock and trauma of the situation. The various news agencies have their marketers developing the most shocking titles they can. Here's a sample:
"Drumbeat of Shots, Broken by Pauses to Reload" - The New York Times
"Students Slaughtered" - CNN
"Deadly Day" - NBC Nightly News
"Campus Massacre: 33 Dead in Va. Tech Shooting Rampage" - CBS Evening News
The reporters have spent all day jockeying for their exclusives and many of the college students who have been raised on (un)reality television are willing fodder for their manipulation. Why do we put up with this? It's bad enough that we live in a world where a person is driven for whatever reasons to kill 33 people before turning the gun on himself. Why do we give a TV camera to people who take advantage of such things?
My prayer all day has been that Jesus would come quickly and end the violence, suffering, as well as the exploitation of these things.
posted by Travis @ 3:37 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Man, I couldn't agree more... LLoyd and I were watching some of the reports last night and my remark to him was that when the media "Tags" a story and instantly makes an icon out of the tag, it really minimizes the horror, and reality of the situation. Many people actually died, and those guys are actually sitting in a room saying "What tag line can we give this thing to snag the most viewers?, How can we sell this thing in a way that we will benefit from it?" I know it is harsh.... maybe I'm just jaded...
amen! with our media it's all about sensationalism, stealing the headlines. then, to have the gall to say, "our prayers and thoughts are with the families." sorry, but often this sounds like what a person is suppose to say or a formula. it seems to me that this comment is devoid of any real compassion.
luke
jesse, if you're jaded then i'm right there with you. i think there's a fine line between being cynical and calling it like it is.
luke, sensationalism is the right word. i agree with you as well about the prayers.
i wrestle with this because i really don't want to give in to my cynical nature but to me the media seem like modern day vampires feeding off the pain and misery of the world.
there's a movie called "mad city" with dustin hoffman and john travolta that depicts this reality very well.
Thanks for this Travis. I was also sickened by the media ratings rush and the corresponding lack of care for those affected by the horror and tragedy. On ABC news the night of the killings, one of the reporters boasted how he knew from experience covering Columbine that the "first day" was the best day to get student reflections because after the initial shock they would grow more (thougtful and) reluctant to talk. It came off like, "We've only got about 24 hours to exploit these kids, and the clock is ticking."
For most of these kids, the seeming safety and security of their little part of the world was ripped open in an instant, revealing that any day could be the day that their soul is required of them. It will take a long time for "the shock and trauma of this situation" to be overcome. I pray that we can guide kids into an early adulthood where (1) they can stare down cameras and microphones and say, "This is too big for a sound bite, and too weighty for any meaningful immediate reaction," and (2) they are prepared to ask themselves and others "what have you prepared for yourself," and embrace the only answer to this question, articulated alternatively by Fuel: "But tell me now, who's my saving one Jesus or a gun?"
It will be a hard lesson for post-9.11 American culture that security and vulnerability are not inversely proportional! At an October conference, Miroslav Volf mentioned the absence of thoughtful (academic) consideration of their relationship.
clay,
thanks for your thoughts. i had not heard that particular reporter's claim but sadly it doesn't suprise me. the past 24 hours have seen the full commodification of this tragedy come into play with nbc's decision to air the footage of the killer.
maybe it's just me but i think this move by nbc traumatizes and revictimizes the students at va tech. the killer imposed his will on them when he went on his rampage and now the media is imposing the will of a killer by broadcasting images he obviously wanted broadcast. nbc has given hui more rights, and shown him more respect than his victims.
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