Okay, some things are not made for tv

[torinsmom]

I was just watching the news and they were talking about the man who died in the luge(sp?) accident. Then they SHOWED the man flying off the luge track and the workers doing CPR on him! Yes, they showed the man dying. I'm sorry, but is nothing sacred? My mom told me she saw people using bulldozers and dump trucks to remove dead bodies from buildings in Haiti after the earthquake.

So, how much is too much? Can they not get their points across by telling the story and not showing the gory details?

Marsha

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I was just watching the news and they were talking about the man who died in the luge(sp?) accident. Then they SHOWED the man flying off the luge track and the workers doing CPR on him! Yes, they showed the man dying. I'm sorry, but is nothing sacred? My mom told me she saw people using bulldozers and dump trucks to remove dead bodies from buildings in Haiti after the earthquake.

So, how much is too much? Can they not get their points across by telling the story and not showing the gory details?

Marsha

We just accidentally watched the luge accident. We had the news on while eating dinner and I wasn't paying attention. I would have changed it....I heard them warning that it was disturbing and graffic but it didn't register it in time. I really see both sides of the arguement. One one side, I don't think they NEEDED to show that luge accident. On the other, I don't think it's right to only show the beautiful things in the world. Some people can't really get the absolute horror and devastation occuring in Haiti until they see the gruesome reality.

 

[Christine]

The media is shameless.

I believe in respect for the dead and I don't think their photographs should be printed. It's not necessary.

The Washington Post took a beating a few weeks ago for printing a picture of a dead, young Haitian girl. Absolutely disrespectful and showing this athlete's death or the death AS IT WAS HAPPENING is gratuitous.

 

[torinsmom]

They showed a computer simulation of the luge accident right after the real footage and to me that would have been enough. Video of the real accident as not necessary.

I also agree they need to show some of the stuff in Haiti, destroyed buildings, homeless people, people in the hospitals. I don't think they should show dead bodies though. I just think its too much.

Marsha

 

[diznygirl]

Just saw it at the beginning of the coverage for the Opening Ceremonies. Sitting here with my kids - we tried pausing and then fast-forwarding. Caught up to at the CPR part, saw the blood and quick changed the channel.

It's in extremely poor taste to show what happened.

There would be so much more respect for the media outlets that used some discretion with some of their news footage.

They should especially consider that people who are tuning in for the Opening Ceremonies don't want to see this footage.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

Just saw it at the beginning of the coverage for the Opening Ceremonies. Sitting here with my kids - we tried pausing and then fast-forwarding. Caught up to at the CPR part, saw the blood and quick changed the channel.

I just turned the TV on to watch the Opening Ceremony and that was the first thing I saw - it took a minute to realise what they were showing and by then I'd seen too much

I totally agree that some things are not meant to be shown on TV - if something like that happened to me, I wouldn't want my dying moments to be broadcast over and over again for everyone (including my friends and family) to watch.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I had just read this as the 7:30 coverage began. I want to thank you all, I was able to warn my DD that she would want to look away. They showed it not once, but a couple times. No warning at all.

I agree it is horrible and disrespectful. A computer simulation would be more than enough.

 

[pwmitch237]

Agreed, that should not have been shown. Haiti, is in totally different context, as that was a natural disaster... you couldn't even mention it without images of that at least appearing in your head. However, this accident should not be shown....agreed, respect for the dead is needed. On the other note: a comparison of the news networks, the whole 30mins-1hour of CNN showing it, if they weren't showing the video they had a picture of it, behind the commentator, where as Fox News said the video was too graphic to show, and they didn't have any pics, just an icon with "Breaking News" written on it. I definitely think Fox did a better job reporting it here. I think any pics or video should not have been shown. Computer simulation would have given the same effect.

 

[mouseclick1]

I was appalled that they showed the accident during the coverage of opening ceremonies. I turned the channel as soon as I realized they were showing the actual crash. When I turned it back on assuming it would be over, they were showing the emergency crew working on him. I am disgusted with whoever decided to air this; shame on NBC.

 

[luvmyfam444]

I was coming here to ask the same thing. I read the story online this afternoon & that was plenty -then dh said they showed it I about fell out that it was actually shown.

In fact I was watching the accident of Stacy Cook online & wondered about her - she didn't get up @ first & I thought what if she had died & I was watching that how horrible it would be

Pretty shoked to see it

 

[luvmyfam444]

we should shoot off a nastygram to NBC & tell them how ridiculous it was...

 

[handinpocket]

It happened during taping, fair game. During the taping of "Deadliest Catch" a ship went down and they showed a dead man in the water while trying to rescue him.

 

[Poohgirl]

Very sad. The video is disturbing, tough to watch. While watching Haiti footage I saw a pile of dead bodies strewn about, then there right on top was a baby of no older then a year old, just tossed there like a doll. I wanted to vomit...

 

[ZephyrHawk]

News is news, to stop it is to stop the flow of information which we require to be functional members of society. Would you protest seeing the twin towers being shown falling on a dozen networks at once, or does that have less disturbing impact because you couldn't see individual people dying?

If you don't like something or think it's not kid appropriate, you are free to switch channels or, goodness forbid, turn the tv off.

 

[lillygator]

Agreed, that should not have been shown. Haiti, is in totally different context, as that was a natural disaster... you couldn't even mention it without images of that at least appearing in your head.

this was a freak accident....why is the context different?

 

[mouseclick1]

we should shoot off a nastygram to NBC & tell them how ridiculous it was...

I did. Here is the email address I used:

nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com


I would have been a little less appalled if I had seen this on CNN or another news show of that nature. I truly think it was out of place to show a clip that graphic during the opening ceremony coverage.

 

[Duckyiam71]

I was just telling my husband the same thing. You sit down with your family to watch the opening ceremonies only to see the sad story and then NBC makes it worse by showing his death as well. I think there should have been a disclaimer before they showed it. I think it is appalling anytime anyone shows death on tv.

 

[dislaney]

I really wish I hadn't seen it. I didn't really have a chance to change the channel though. I would have rather seen a simulation or something - I really didn't think they would show it during the opening ceremonies.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

No issues with them showing this. I understand it is a lot to take in, but we filter too much on TV already.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

They gave a very big warning before they showed ANY footage, if you didn't want to watch it you could have changed the channel.

Brian Williams I believe is the one who reported about it. I watched it and I was shocked and very sad.

However, we have to stop filtering this is life and in happiness there is some saddness as well.

I also think more people need to see the REAL devastation in Haiti, the more coverage the better.

Why would you send a complaint email to NBC? Really, what do you think they are going to do? I am sure they had to get the okay to show the footage from his family and his country, but like a PP said it was filmed for training purposes so its fair game.

I have seen other horrible accidents during these games, however they lived. This poor young man did not.