Anyone else think the media coverage of the Space Shuttle crash is sickening?

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
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They have shown pictures and video of a mission patch and helmet that was recovered. How can they think that would not bother the family of those that were killed?

I still have some articles from my father's plane crash(his shoes and wallet) and it would sicken me to see the media have photographs of it. Have they no shame? I have only looked at my father's things once or twice in the eleven years since he has been dead. It is too upsetting and sickening to look at it in my own personal space. What gives the media the IDEA that it is ok to show all of this to the entire world?

I can understand that there are the morbidly curious that would WANT to see these things but a majority of people do not! What makes people get off when they see something like this?

I feel nauseous.
 

Led Zeppelin

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2002
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Originally posted by: Millennium
They have shown pictures and video of a mission patch and helmet that was recovered. How can they think that would not bother the family of those that were killed.

I still have some articles from my father's plane crash(his shoes and wallet) and it would sicken me to see the media have photographs of it. Have they no shame? I have only looked at my father's things once or twice in the eleven years since he has been dead. It is too upsetting and sickening to look at it in my own personal space. What gives the media the IDEA that it is ok to show all of this to the entire world?

I can understand that there are the morbidly curious that would WANT to see these things but a majority of people do not! What makes people get off when they see something like this?

I feel nauseous.


I agree. The only thing they care about is ratings, and being able to claim that they showed something first, etc. They don't have any respect for anything or anyone. Their only concern is being the first to get it on the air, no matter what. It's disgusting.


 

brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
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Eh.. free press..

It's a tragedy either way. I don't think the press showing a helmet and a Columbia crash is any worse than a Columbia crash... It's like 10,000 + 1 is still as bad as 10,000.. Showing those things keeps it personal. It helps people that wouldn't normally equate a shuttle disaster as a terrible loss of life understand these things.

EDIT: I really don't mean to sound heartless. I have only the utmost respect for astronauts. I wanted to be one - but I gave up before ever trying. (what's the use.. I have crap vision, genetically prone to heart disease, etc) I just think that some people still have the "Wow, cool" factor when they see the footage of the burning ship. When they show personal items, then it becomes more real for them.

I would get very pissed if they showed burned up flesh or any body part, though.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
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It was the same for 9/11. I got so disgusted and sick at looking at the planes hitting the WTC. They kept on showing every angle again and again. Every moment I looked at it, I imagined people dying. Someone needs to overhaul this media system we have here.
 

shiner

Lifer
Jul 18, 2000
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No worse than it's been since the Vietnam War. That's when the press really got out of control with their love of sensationalism. They just loved the idea of body counts and still do.

OKC Bombing
9/11
STS 107

They just love showing the dead and wounded. It's all about ratings you know.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
56,839
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If it bleeds, it leads.

They are simply giving the public what it wants. Your beef is with the majority of the viewing public, not the news stations.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
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Originally posted by: Amused
If it bleeds, it leads..

I'm not buying that. They stopped showing those people jumping to thier deaths from the WTC pretty quick...Way too graphic.

 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
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Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Originally posted by: Amused
If it bleeds, it leads..

I'm not buying that. They stopped showing those people jumping to thier deaths from the WTC pretty quick...Way too graphic.

Well, they do realize that there are limits. They are not brainless.

It appears people don't want to see people die, just dead. They want to see wreckage, and lots of it in continous loops all day long. Just look at the coverage of 9/11. What drew the highest ratings? The best looks at ground zero.

Let me add this: What do the majority of people do when passing an auto accident? All the news channels do is give that to them in their living room.
 

WileCoyote

Senior member
Aug 4, 2000
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Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Originally posted by: Amused
If it bleeds, it leads..

I'm not buying that. They stopped showing those people jumping to thier deaths from the WTC pretty quick...Way too graphic.

they stopped showing it because of criticism from their viewers. yes, that's right. you do have a voice.
 

Ime

Diamond Member
May 3, 2001
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Originally posted by: WileCoyote
Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Originally posted by: Amused
If it bleeds, it leads..

I'm not buying that. They stopped showing those people jumping to thier deaths from the WTC pretty quick...Way too graphic.

they stopped showing it because of criticism from their viewers. yes, that's right. you do have a voice.

Yep, up until the time the viewers complained, they were showing the jumpers all the way down... sick bastards. Must be something about holding a camera and/or a microphone that sucks out their brains.
 

Orsorum

Lifer
Dec 26, 2001
27,631
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Originally posted by: Ime
Originally posted by: WileCoyote
Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Originally posted by: Amused
If it bleeds, it leads..

I'm not buying that. They stopped showing those people jumping to thier deaths from the WTC pretty quick...Way too graphic.

they stopped showing it because of criticism from their viewers. yes, that's right. you do have a voice.

Yep, up until the time the viewers complained, they were showing the jumpers all the way down... sick bastards. Must be something about holding a camera and/or a microphone that sucks out their brains.

It's easy to make empty platitudes and comments when you're tucked away in a production studio.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
56,839
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Originally posted by: Ime
Originally posted by: WileCoyote
Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Originally posted by: Amused
If it bleeds, it leads..

I'm not buying that. They stopped showing those people jumping to thier deaths from the WTC pretty quick...Way too graphic.

they stopped showing it because of criticism from their viewers. yes, that's right. you do have a voice.

Yep, up until the time the viewers complained, they were showing the jumpers all the way down... sick bastards. Must be something about holding a camera and/or a microphone that sucks out their brains.

Yet websites that carried pics or video caps of the jumpers had plenty of traffic for weeks afterwards.

I agree there was a serious outcry over that. However, to claim the majority of people don't want to see carnage and have endless footage of wreckage and crash scenes is to deny reality.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
56,839
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Originally posted by: Ime
Originally posted by: Amused
Well, they do realize that there are limits. They are not brainless.

I couldn't disagree more.

And you're reacting from pure ignorance. These people live and breath ratings points. They've studied what builds and kills ratings for years. They have it down to a cold and heartless science.

While I may agree they lack morals and sensitivity, to say they are brainless is to deny fact.
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
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On a side note...

If a commercial jet carrying 250 people on it crashed in Russia tomorrow killing everyone aboard, the US wouldn't give a flying sh!t:(
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
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Originally posted by: NFS4
On a side note...

If a commercial jet carrying 250 people on it crashed in Russia tomorrow killing everyone aboard, the US wouldn't give a flying sh!t:(

I think thats because the space program is a huge part of our national pride for over 35 years. It exemplifies our nations superiorty and make people very upset when pride is at stake.

 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
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Originally posted by: NFS4
On a side note...

If a commercial jet carrying 250 people on it crashed in Russia tomorrow killing everyone aboard, the US wouldn't give a flying sh!t:(

So what's your point? Planes crash all the time. Shuttles don't disintegrate too often. Big difference between a passenger aircraft going down and a major part of our space program doing the same.