Crime as public spectacle

JEERS TO several media organizations for forgetting their responsibility to protect the identity and dignity of the dead.

The Manila Bulletin and The Philippine Star published gory photos of the victims in the alleged shooting spree in Quezon City, while TV 5’s Aksyon, ABS- CBN 2’s TV Patrol, and GMA-7’s 24 Oras aired video clips of the victims’ bodies.

At least five persons were killed in Brgy. North Fairview, Quezon City on May 11. Two others were reportedly killed later that day.

The Star showed four photos of the bodies of the victims. The faces were pixelated but the photos were in full color (“7 dead in QC shooting spree,” May 12). The Bulletin published four black and white photos of the crime scenes showing the victims lying dead (“QC shooting spree,” May 12).

The three primetime news programs also aired either blurred or distant shots of the victims’ bodies. On May 11, the lead of the first report of TV Patrol on the incident said: “Dagan pa ng kanyang motor ang duguan at wala ng buhay na si Rodelio dela Cruz nang madatnan ng news team sa Commonwealth Ave. Brgy. North Fairview kaninang madaling araw (The news team found the bloody, dead body of Rodelio dela Cruz under his motorcycle in Commonwealth Avenue, North Fairview Village this early morning).”

Twitter user @ceso tagged CMFR about the published photos of the Star news report which they published in print on May 12.

[field name=”ceso”]

“Some events—a hostage-taking, a massacre, a bombing with multiple casualties—are inherently sensational, but need to be reported.” There are guidelines to minimize harm in reporting sensational events. On the use of images, “do not use photos of victims who are naked, scantily clad or in otherwise degrading states.” (The CMFR Ethics Manual, pp65-66)

The news organizations did point out the lack of police presence in the area and the busted closed-circuit television cameras near the crime scenes which could have helped identify the suspects.

In a May 13 report, State of the Nation with Jessica Soho featured the voluntary use of “reflectorized” vests printed with the plate number of the motorcycle riders as a means to help solve similar crimes. But the report still showed clips of the victims’ bodies.