Mumbai Blasts: Images on the Indian Television

mridula · Jul 12th, 2006, 12:35

What happened in Mumbai is deplorable. But the way Indian TV is covering it, particularly by beaming images of the dead with scant to regard to anyone makes me quite agitated. Those of you who have seen the coverage, what do you say?

Nick-H · Jul 12th, 2006, 12:58

I think that Indian media in general can be a bit of a shock to those of us brought up on body-less Western TV.

mridula · Jul 12th, 2006, 13:01

After a while I was so disgusted that I started watching the BBC coverage where they avoid going over the top.

Bigzero · Jul 12th, 2006, 13:06

The images shown yesterday were extremely disturbing. I dont know what is right or wrong, but i read yesterday about some Intelligence expert commenting that by doing this, the media is in a way helping to achieve what the terrorist have been intending to - spreading fear.

crvlvr · Jul 13th, 2006, 02:20

I am all about the media showing reality (with appropriate warning). If the US media covered the Iraq war fairly, I think Bush would not have been re-elected and the many lives would have been saved. Just look the uproar the Abr Ghraib images caused. That's a price I am willing to pay -- watching a few disturbing images on TV -- if it resulting ina better understanding of the world around us. If the viewers don't like it, they can change the channel.

mridula · Jul 13th, 2006, 12:25

CRVLVR, have you seen any of the images I am talking about? What about dignity of the dead? How about not pushing a camera into the face of a crying relative and asking some inane question?

Nick-H · Jul 13th, 2006, 13:36

Isn't it hard to know where to draw the line?

I agree that the "West"'s media is too sanitised.

I do feel that grieving people should be left alone.

mridula · Jul 13th, 2006, 14:34

"The CNN-IBN screen was full of blood during the Mumbai blast coverage. Rajdeep was anchoring from one of the bombed first class coaches. He kept on pointing at and showing blood splashed window glasses of the train for a good 10 minutes. As if this was not enough, what followed were blood smeared bodies of injured people. Then there were limbs and other body parts of the dead on the platforms and rail tracks. Blood blood and more blood."

A reaction from a blog to the images.

http://journo-sk.blogspot.com/2006/0...edia-mind.html

aadil · Jul 13th, 2006, 14:47

I remember in London once during a road accident the police personnel came and first covered up the crash site with partitioned covers so that no one could see the mangled remains of the car and the bodies inside it. No one was allowed to enter this partitioned part and all activity went on behind the scenes without any TV crew gaining access to the site too. Very nicely covered up and less frightening for anyone to see.

Aadil.

Nick-H · Jul 13th, 2006, 15:04

One of the things that amazed me, as a foreigner here, in the little TV civerage I saw was the the thousands of people just milling around the railway tracks.

In UK the entire area would have been sealed, and nothing but emergency services would have been let in. then there would probably have been a day or two or police searching for and filtering forensic evidence.

things are just different here.

aadil · Jul 13th, 2006, 15:11

If they seal the place then the whole place would be out of bounds for at least a year or so till they came up with some evidence or clues!!! And then how would we all travel to work if they did seal the place up for even one whole day?!!! Just not possible in a city like Mumbai where many different options are not available for the public to use.

Aadil.

mridula · Jul 13th, 2006, 15:20

I think Aadil has a point, about people not having too many options but to use the train system again.

Yet, I wonder why the area could not have been sealed off at least for a few hours after the police force arrived?

DaDrifter · Jul 13th, 2006, 15:48

Perhaps it is a sign of changing times... with a hundred news channels, each trying to outdo the other, this is bound to happen. If not sleaze, it is sensation that sells on the Indian channels today. Equally worrying is the advent of citizen journalism. A prominent Hindi news channel showed some very bloody images of torn body parts, taken by a Citizen Journalist who was there at the site of the incident, armed with a video camera, much before any help arrived ... "news as it was happening" they called it. They turned him into a national hero and kept appreciating him for his brave effort. Lack of prudence on their part ???? ... hard to decide.

I agree with Nick ... things are just different here.

Nick-H · Jul 13th, 2006, 16:05

London streets get shut down for cycle races and other even more trivial stuff. local authorities seem to vie with one another to cause as much inconvenience as possible. Let alone forensic!

That's London, This is India... as DaDrifter says, just different.

The mobile phone and the camera phone have taken us into the heart of every disaster. Personally I don't have the guts for it. I'm just not strong enough to be witness to someone's last words spoken to their family, or a newspaper even. Sorry.

As for treating a guy as a hero who goes on filming... Well, heroic stomach ok, but apart from forensic evidence, of what possible value other than shock value is the result to anyone (apart maybe from selling the rights in the pics to a news agency

) .

National hero? Bahh... how about the rescue people, the guys actually pulling people out of the wreckage, the hospital staff. They are the National Heroes: Hats off to them! Not some nerd with a camcorder.

mridula · Jul 13th, 2006, 16:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

As for treating a guy as a hero who goes on filming... Well, heroic stomach ok, but apart from forensic evidence, of what possible value other than shock value is the result to anyone (apart maybe from selling the rights in the pics to a news agency

) .

National hero? Bahh... how about the rescue people, the guys actually pulling people out of the wreckage, the hospital staff. They are the National Heroes: Hats off to them! Not some nerd with a camcorder.

I entirely agree with you Nick.

Jul 12th, 2006, 12:35	#1
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,586	Mumbai Blasts: Images on the Indian Television What happened in Mumbai is deplorable. But the way Indian TV is covering it, particularly by beaming images of the dead with scant to regard to anyone makes me quite agitated. Those of you who have seen the coverage, what do you say? __________________ Mridula Travel Tales from India

Jul 12th, 2006, 13:06	#4
Bigzero back to my old ways Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,507	The images shown yesterday were extremely disturbing. I dont know what is right or wrong, but i read yesterday about some Intelligence expert commenting that by doing this, the media is in a way helping to achieve what the terrorist have been intending to - spreading fear. __________________ miles to go.... Bigzero's Photo Gallery

Jul 13th, 2006, 14:47	#9
aadil Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m) Posts: 2,038	I remember in London once during a road accident the police personnel came and first covered up the crash site with partitioned covers so that no one could see the mangled remains of the car and the bodies inside it. No one was allowed to enter this partitioned part and all activity went on behind the scenes without any TV crew gaining access to the site too. Very nicely covered up and less frightening for anyone to see. Aadil. __________________ Climb high; climb far; Your goal, the sky, Your aim, the stars!!!

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Jul 12th, 2006, 12:58	#2
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,174	I think that Indian media in general can be a bit of a shock to those of us brought up on body-less Western TV.

Jul 12th, 2006, 13:01	#3
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,586	After a while I was so disgusted that I started watching the BBC coverage where they avoid going over the top.

Jul 13th, 2006, 02:20	#5
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,667	I am all about the media showing reality (with appropriate warning). If the US media covered the Iraq war fairly, I think Bush would not have been re-elected and the many lives would have been saved. Just look the uproar the Abr Ghraib images caused. That's a price I am willing to pay -- watching a few disturbing images on TV -- if it resulting ina better understanding of the world around us. If the viewers don't like it, they can change the channel.

Jul 13th, 2006, 12:25	#6
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,586	CRVLVR, have you seen any of the images I am talking about? What about dignity of the dead? How about not pushing a camera into the face of a crying relative and asking some inane question?

Jul 13th, 2006, 13:36	#7
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,174	Isn't it hard to know where to draw the line? I agree that the "West"'s media is too sanitised. I do feel that grieving people should be left alone.

Jul 13th, 2006, 14:34	#8
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,586	"The CNN-IBN screen was full of blood during the Mumbai blast coverage. Rajdeep was anchoring from one of the bombed first class coaches. He kept on pointing at and showing blood splashed window glasses of the train for a good 10 minutes. As if this was not enough, what followed were blood smeared bodies of injured people. Then there were limbs and other body parts of the dead on the platforms and rail tracks. Blood blood and more blood." A reaction from a blog to the images. http://journo-sk.blogspot.com/2006/0...edia-mind.html

Jul 13th, 2006, 15:04	#10
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,174	One of the things that amazed me, as a foreigner here, in the little TV civerage I saw was the the thousands of people just milling around the railway tracks. In UK the entire area would have been sealed, and nothing but emergency services would have been let in. then there would probably have been a day or two or police searching for and filtering forensic evidence. things are just different here.

Jul 13th, 2006, 15:11	#11
aadil Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m) Posts: 2,038	If they seal the place then the whole place would be out of bounds for at least a year or so till they came up with some evidence or clues!!! And then how would we all travel to work if they did seal the place up for even one whole day?!!! Just not possible in a city like Mumbai where many different options are not available for the public to use. Aadil.

Jul 13th, 2006, 15:20	#12
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,586	I think Aadil has a point, about people not having too many options but to use the train system again. Yet, I wonder why the area could not have been sealed off at least for a few hours after the police force arrived?

Jul 13th, 2006, 15:48	#13
DaDrifter Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Delhi Posts: 97	Perhaps it is a sign of changing times... with a hundred news channels, each trying to outdo the other, this is bound to happen. If not sleaze, it is sensation that sells on the Indian channels today. Equally worrying is the advent of citizen journalism. A prominent Hindi news channel showed some very bloody images of torn body parts, taken by a Citizen Journalist who was there at the site of the incident, armed with a video camera, much before any help arrived ... "news as it was happening" they called it. They turned him into a national hero and kept appreciating him for his brave effort. Lack of prudence on their part ???? ... hard to decide. I agree with Nick ... things are just different here.

Jul 13th, 2006, 16:05	#14
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,174	London streets get shut down for cycle races and other even more trivial stuff. local authorities seem to vie with one another to cause as much inconvenience as possible. Let alone forensic! That's London, This is India... as DaDrifter says, just different. The mobile phone and the camera phone have taken us into the heart of every disaster. Personally I don't have the guts for it. I'm just not strong enough to be witness to someone's last words spoken to their family, or a newspaper even. Sorry. As for treating a guy as a hero who goes on filming... Well, heroic stomach ok, but apart from forensic evidence, of what possible value other than shock value is the result to anyone (apart maybe from selling the rights in the pics to a news agency ) . National hero? Bahh... how about the rescue people, the guys actually pulling people out of the wreckage, the hospital staff. They are the National Heroes: Hats off to them! Not some nerd with a camcorder.