The hypothetical textbook of ethics in journalism has been ripped up, shredded, and flushed down the toilet. Decades ago, gumshoe reporters were taken under the wings of their elders and taught the rules of journalistic respect. A combination of a newer generation of journalists, a politically driven mainstream media, and everyday citizens trying to become social media stars have completely ruined the unwritten rules of the trade.
Recently, an overly zealous firefighting enthusiast rushed to publish pictures on social media showing a double fatal car accident on the Thruway in southern Orange County as the incident first transpired. The accident scene was horrific and clearly showed the destruction of two human lives. It is unknown if the victims were still in their vehicles when the accident pictures were taken.
Imagine being a family member of the victim and unaware of their involvement because authorities have not yet notified you. You sign onto social media to find a picture of your family member’s badly mangled car going viral. You had no idea they were involved in a car accident, let alone killed, because an overly eager hack could not wait to be the first person to post the pictures. You learn of their death by reading it on social media and seeing graphic pictures of how your family member was violently killed moments ago.
The First Amendment very specifically allows this freedom to take place – and rightfully so. If laws were to prohibit this type of journalism, it opens the door for the government to restrict a free press. Instead, it is up to us as a society to police ourselves. A person publishing a news event should have the proper moral values to practice responsible journalism, whether they are an amateur social media blogger or a representative of a professional news agency.
In this case, those pictures should not have been published so quickly. The posting ignited a firestorm of controversy from social media followers criticizing the person for posting the graphic pictures of the accident scene. Nearly all media outlets post these sort of pictures, but The Newburgh News firmly believes it was too soon after the accident occurred. The photographer should have had the common decency to wait at least a few hours to give the families time to be notified first.
There are two rules of thumb among old-school, professional news reporters: Never take a picture of a victim involved in an accident (inside the vehicle or on a stretcher) and never take a picture of a mangled car while a deceased person is still inside. Beyond these two rules of thumb, it is up to the photographer to use common sense to show decency.
It is often crucial to show these types of accidents, but not so soon. Showing serious car accidents after the fact can sometimes heighten public awareness. After seeing an accident as severe as this head-on, some viewers may be a little more careful to ensure they are traveling in the correct direction. Other readers may become more aware to look ahead to try spotting a wrong-way driver.
Fire scenes are slightly different as long as a fatality is not involved. In this case, publishing it as it happens can be beneficial because it has the ability to rally community support. Citizens may recognize a friend’s home that is burning down and spring into action to bring them clothes, food, water, or other emergency necessities.
This day in age when everyone has a camera and social media has taken over, it is easy for any amateur to snap a shot of an incident. Even experienced journalists sometimes make poor decisions or simply have no basic decency. We urge everyone to take a step back and think before posting these types of incidents to social media so quickly.
