Well, it just depends on the dead body, I guess...

[The Ressurrected One]

Glenn Reynolds (http://www.instapundit.com/) makes a great point this morning. I can't improve on it, so I'll just quote it:


THE PRESS WANTS TO SHOW BODIES (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/10/katrina.media/) from Katrina. It didn't want to show bodies, or jumpers, on 9/11, for fear that doing so would inflame the public.

I can only conclude that this time around, the press thinks it's a good thing to inflame the public. What could the difference be?
The link is to a CNN story about how the network has gone to court to get an order requiring the U.S. military to give it access to dead bodies so it can film them. Quite a different attitude, wouldn't you say, from the press's reluctance to show us the full horror of the September 11 attacks? Remember, too, the press' outrage when it wasn't able to shoot footage of caskets of soldiers that were flown back from Iraq. Somehow a different standard applied there, also.

Scott Ott of Scrappleface (http://www.scrappleface.com/MT/archives/002320.html) has wasted no time parodying the press' new-found interest in displaying victims:


(2005-09-10) -- The Cable News Network (CNN), fresh from a legal triumph allowing it to televise the recovery of dead flood victims, today asked a federal judge to allow it to dig up and videotape any bodies buried in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"While we were petitioning the court to cover the recovery of corpses, some victims were hastily buried," said an unnamed CNN spokesman. "Our viewers have a right to see the decaying flesh of each and every citizen who perished from lack of federal government assistance. That's why the First Amendment exists."

[TOP-CHERRY]

The difference is in 9/11 no one was blaming the President or the government for what happened. At least not immediately...

[Vashner]

Just watch mexican tv news....

Last night they shows tons of bodies.....

[The Ressurrected One]

The difference is in 9/11 no one was blaming the President or the government for what happened. At least not immediately...
So, inflame the public against the President...but, not the terrorists? I got it.

[The Ressurrected One]

Just watch mexican tv news....

Last night they shows tons of bodies.....
Hope you enjoyed it.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Hey TRO, did you know they're also not allowed to show the incoming coffins of dead soldiers from Iraq?

Cuz that liberal media garsh darn well knows, if they were allowed to show this dark side of the story, it could hurt your Savior's image.

[ChumpDumper]

So, inflame the public against the President.A bit defensive, are we? Didn't see him mentioned.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

A bit defensive, are we? Didn't see him mentioned.

:lol

[The Ressurrected One]

A bit defensive, are we? Didn't see him mentioned.
Isn't this all his fault?

[ChumpDumper]

Isn't this all his fault?Nope.

[Vashner]

Hope you enjoyed it.
you ass...

I watch it because I speak spanish and go to Mexico a lot idiot....
I was saying they showed bodies.. Somehow you think I liked watching it?

You suck.
You don't even know who Maria Celeste is I bet moron.

[ChumpDumper]

Give him time to google her.

[TOP-CHERRY]

So, inflame the public against the President...but, not the terrorists? I got it.
Hey, I'm just stating the obvious. Doesn't mean I think it's okay.

[TOP-CHERRY]

you ass...

I watch it because I speak spanish and go to Mexico a lot idiot....
I was saying they showed bodies.. Somehow you think I liked watching it?

You suck.
You don't even know who Maria Celeste is I bet moron.
It's sad that they would disrespect New Orleans people that way just to get their damn ratings up. Sick.

[ChumpDumper]

It's sad that they would disrespect New Orleans people that way just to get their damn ratings up. Sick.They show all kinds of graphic stuff -- this isn't a special case.

[TOP-CHERRY]

It's still sick.

[ChumpDumper]

Agreed, but interesting difference in standards all round.

[SpursWoman]

IMO, they can all go and get fucked for their sensationalistic, "Fuck the families of these people cuz I'm gettin' my photo in a magazine, Popdammit!" bullshit.

[Drachen]

I have to say I believe it is in bad taste, we know people died, you can report that people died and I promise I will believe you, really. For those that are opposed to this I want to ask if they felt differently about the news showing the dead bodies of uday and husay (sp?). Just for my own info.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I have a hard time wishing ill will on anyone, but in the case of all these asshole photographers I hope they fall overboard, get sick and die from the water.

It's pathetic that anyone feels they need to run to court get that "million dollar shot" of some bloated, rotting corpse of someone. Fuck them.

[TOP-CHERRY]

Spanish-speaking newscasts are more prone to show those kinds of things. They also always use scare tactics to keep the ratings up. i.e.: "Don't change the channel. When we come back we'll tell you how washing your hands can KILL YOU!"

[Nbadan]

Maybe this is why the Press wants to document the recovery of bodies...

152 found in Jefferson alone, but only 20 being counted
----
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlo...
Lee reports on deaths in Jefferson

Friday, 10:05 p.m.


Sheriff Harry Lee said Saturday night that the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s office had processed 152 bodies, but only 20 of those were deaths related to Hurricane Katrina. He said the coroner’s office was picking up bodies that are reported lying in the street and handling them to FEMA’s specifications. He also said that body count does not include bodies that may have been taken to the morgue in St. Gabriel.

----

http://smh.com.au/news/world/body-search-accelerates-as...


The death toll in Louisiana rose to 154 on Saturday. In Mississippi it was 211. In Jefferson parish, in the western part of the New Orleans metropolitan area, the death toll was 20. In St Bernard parish, east of New Orleans, the toll was 62.

If the 132 dead in Jefferson Parish didn't die because of Hurrican Katrina, what is the coroner contributing the cause of death too? and why aren't these death being counted in the official Katrina death count?

[mookie2001]

quit playing the blame game!

[mookie2001]

stop it.
Im fed up!!
stop the blame game

[mookie2001]

im not fucking around
my great aunt died because of that hurricane
quit playing the blame game!

[mookie2001]

you bastard.

[The Ressurrected One]

im not fucking around
my great aunt died because of that hurricane
quit playing the blame game!
My condolences. Maybe you should refrain from reading this forum for awhile...we don't have the most sensitive participants known; I doubt many will consider your feelings before posting.

[mookie2001]

i didnt know her very well, elpimpo is to be commended for facilitating transportation of the body to texas and free funeral expenses

[mookie2001]

lol

[hussker]

all i'm saying is that poor people are poor because they CHOOSE to be poor

and the people who died because of the hurricane CHOSE to die because they hate bush

Hey, doesn't the subject of hating bush belong in the "gay marriage rights in Cali" thread?
:jack

[RandomGuy]

It shows the media grew a spine.

Good for them.

[RandomGuy]

Maybe she wouldn't have died if she wasn't living in such a LIBERAL city!

It's HER FAULT for not getting out!

She CHOSE to be there!


Yeah. I mean, NO!! I mean, huh?

(note: RG gets the humor, and thinks it is funny)

[RandomGuy]

quit playing the blame game!


I think Jon Stewart had it nailed when he said:

"Ever notice that the people who don't want to play the blame game, are always the ones to blame?"

[Summers]

Just to play Devil's advocate, we do have a freedom of press in this country. The reason CNN got a federal judge to grant them a restraining order against FEMA is because FEMA had told them they wouldn't be allowed to go in and film any of the removal of bodies. Give CNN a little credit in that they're not generally a network that is going to sensationalize this (anymore than any other network, at least; is that fair?). They simply want the right to film what's happening and decide what to report.

This evening Anderson Cooper made a decent point: He said some people say it's disrespectful to film the dead, but he felt it was disrespectful when he was riding around with the military and they were passing by dead bodies instead of pulling them out of the water for 2 weeks.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I don't personally want to see dead bodies on TV, but that's the point of our Bill of Rights: just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can tell someone not to do it.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

like how they never show pictures from iraq anymore bc people got tired of it

It's not that they don't show those pictures from Iraq because people got tired of them. They don't show them because they don't want people to see our soliders coming coming back in body bags and coffins because it undermines support for the War/actions in Iraq.

There is a similar dymanic that goes on in this situation. Showing the bodies in NO angers people into asking questions. Who was at fault and why? The blame game starts and people start pointing fingers. I'm sure the government would prefer to wait until Katrina coverage reaches a point of oversaturation before images like those come out, if ever.

But no one should want to start the blame game just yet, especially at a time when everyone needs to focus on recovery. Take care of the people now and figure it all out later.

I personally don't want to see images of dead people in NO. I actually think it's disrespectful. We all know there are a lot of people dead there and I don't need the images to prove it.

But I can look away when the images are broadcast.

The truth is that we need coverage of such a historical event and CNN is just doing what they think they need to do to get the full, unbiased coverage opportunity. It is through the press that we get a large part of our recent documented history and a pool of information to draw on for the future telling of past events.

I don't want to see this particular segment of coverage but I'll defend CNNs right to cover it if they choose to do so.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Showing the bodies in NO angers people into asking questions. Who was at fault and why?

Yeah, and it's obvious that until they start showing dead and bloated bodies, no one will be asking whose at fault or playing the blame game. :rolleyes

[Notorious H.O.P.]

Of course not! That's obviously what I meant. I mean, without viewing rotting corpses, who the f*ck is going to ask questions about a poorly handled national disaster where hundreds, if not thousands of additional people may have lost their lives due to a poor response from officials at multiple levels of government?

It's fairly obvious people are/will be asking questions regarding the handling of the pre- and post-Katrina efforts. But what I'm trying to say is that the goverment doesn't want the average joe off the streets to develop strong opinions about what happened/is happening down there.

Yes, everyone feels bad for the people affected by this tragedy but for the most part, they view a couple of minutes of coverage and go on about their day. Everyone sees the images of the city underwater so some focus (not all the focus) is on the loss of the city, not the loss of life.

If you start showing images of dead bodies bobbing in the water a couple of weeks after the tragedy of Katrina, even your average person starts asking questions. Disturbing images like that could be the difference between viewing the situation with sadness and viewing the situation with anger. Even more people will want to know who is to blame and will be calling for action.

Again, do we need to see the dead bodies to ask questions? No. I've followed the situation closer than your average person and I've got more questions than there will ever be answers. And I definitely don't want to see the bodies. Again, I do think it's disrespectful and I'm angry enough at the overall situation as it is. The last thing the government wants to do is have images out that move the focus from what is being done to what wasn't done. The last thing they want is any anger public screaming for answers.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The government's policy isn't because of some callous "wanting to prevent people from developing opinions/asking questions." That's a ridiculous argument.

And it's pretty damn obvious that people are already asking those questions and there will be more investigation.


But what I'm trying to say is that the goverment doesn't want the average joe off the streets to develop strong opinions about what happened/is happening down there.


The government's trying to show some respect for the dead, which is more than can be said for asshats like CNN.