HORROR PIX, SWAZI READER’S VIEW

I wrote last week about the gory photographs of dead bodies that were published in the Swazi News.

I received a lot of comments about the use of graphic images of death by newspapers and no one who contacted me supported their use. I even wondered out loud whether the newspapers realised that they were putting off readers (and potential readers) by publishing such pictures.

A reader’s letter in the Swazi Observer today (1 July 2008) returns us to the theme. The letter writer, Lucky Masoma Mndzebele recounts some other examples of bad taste in newspapers.

I think Mndzebele makes some valid points in the letter. But I disagree with the ‘solution’ advocated. Putting ‘irresponsible’ journalists in jail is no solution. But I do advocate an open and lively debate between newspaper readers and journalists to determine whether the publishing of gory pictures really is what members of the public want.

Here is the letter in full.


Away with those gory images

PLEASE allow me space in your paper to warn journalists and pub­lishers against the use of gory pictures.

It is annoying to see images of dead people splashed on the front pages of national news­papers. It is disturbing enough to learn about accidents but to see the disfigured bodies of relatives and loved ones in newspapers is unwarranted. We must just agree that it is eth­ically wrong to publish those images even though journalists may argue that they are in the business of selling newspapers.

All media practitioners are guilty of this. I have also seen disturbing images in one of the television stations in the country.

Does it really make sense to make money by annoying readers? Definitely not.

I know of many successful newspapers who do not delve on publishing gory images.

Mating

I remember sometime in the past I saw an image of two different species of animals mating. I wondered what the publishers thought they were teaching the nation. I could not see the value in that picture. Why was it published in the first place?

It is only in Swaziland where you can be shown the picture of a baby that died in an accident. I remember one time a television station interviewed an elderly rape survivor of Nhlambeni. They did not bother to cover her face.

They asked her all sorts of embarrassing questions and she gave graphic detail of her ordeal. I asked myself the question as to whose benefit was the coverage. What were we being educated about? Even though the intended purpose was to warn people against rape, it lost all meaning in the manner it was presented.

Uncriticised

In fact, it puts off viewers but because there is no monitoring body in the country the sta­tion went uncriticised.

I still wonder how the offspring of the old woman felt or still feel today. Imagine you are far away and watching your mother or grand­mother telling the entire nation how she was raped by a herdboy.

For how long are we to be subjected to this kind of ill-treatment by members of the fourth estate? Probably journalists are not to blame, they are assigned by the owners of the busi­nesses to break all ethics in the quest for money.

I wonder what happened to the Media Complaints Commission. Journalists were all over the show telling us about self-regulatory mechanisms but today they are quiet about it and continue to feed us with all sorts of poi­son.

Were you to consider suggesting to the state to intervene it would be viewed as gagging the media. But we require minimum standards to be observed by all media houses. We want some form of responsibility.

Whatever happened to the organisation of journalists is still unclear. I remember that they were active only in as far as media awards or parties were concerned. When it came to such serious matters as respecting the rights of the public they relegate themselves to the background.

I remember one time during the reign of ter­ror of one Adrinkah Donkoh who wasted no time in bringing irresponsible journalists behind bars. He became so unpopular but at least he induced a sense of responsibility.

Lucky Masoma Mndzebele
Ticantfwini

See also
HORROR PICTURES IN ‘SWAZI NEWS’
ANGER OVER ‘SWAZI NEWS’ HORROR PIX