Luge accident

[Totenkopf]

Saw this while checking for email and it raises a question: where does the boundary lay between responsible reporting of a "newsworthy" event and shoddy exploitation?

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Should-NBC-have-shown-video-of-Nodar-Kumaritashv;_ylt=AnMfDc4E6IHS5Z45g8E6KMlotLV_?urn=oly,219497

[mimartin]

I have no difficult with the broadcast. NBC placed a warning and discussed the death before ever broadcasting the footage. Personally, I thought it was done respectfully as possible. NBC is broadcasting the Winter Games, unfortunately Nodar Kumaritashvil death is part of the story of the 2010 Winter Olympics, thus NBC had a obligation to its viewers to cover it. End of story.

 

To me acting like everything is just wonderful and that the Olympics were proceeding as if nothing happened would have been an greater injustices to the memory of Nodar Kumaritashvil.

 

The Olympic Games are a symbol of sportsmanship throughout the world, a tragedy like this should serve as a reminder that these athletics risk their own safety to entertain us and to represent their countries. Hopefully some good can come out of this be it in new safety measures or in other ways.

[Q]

How many times did all three networks show Challenger disintegrating?

[mimartin]

How many times did all three networks show Challenger disintegrating?

What about the World Trade Center Twin Towers? How many times do you think they showed the planes hitting the towers or the towers coming down?

 

By their coverage (and I mean all of them) you hardly knew anything happened on United Airlines Flight 93 because they did not have the pictures.

[Jae Onasi]

I think in this case, the networks should consult with the family about what they'd like. Perhaps the family would like the world to be aware that there were significant safety issues on the luge course this Olympics (many lugers have crashed, leading to cries about the danger of this course), or maybe they want it out of the news as quickly as possible.

[Astor]

I agree with that reviewer's general assessment - showing the tape was the right choice to make - maybe not three times without warning, but showing it was important, if only to highlight the danger of the Luge track.

 

Many people have been injured while training on that track over the last few months (In fact, a British competitor dislocated his hip when he fell off his luge), and people have been saying that it was dangerous for months. It's just unfortunate it's taken the death of a competitor for them to alter the course.