What legitimate journalistic purpose did this serve?
In a segment narrated by Pete Williams on the apparent suicide of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called DC Madam, this morning's Today played the tape of the 911 phone call made by Pelfrey's 76-year old mother, who had discovered her daughter's body.
Of all the 911 calls I've heard, this was the most anguished and heart-rending.
A police officer was shown stating: "The mother is very distraught. Discovering your child in this state. It's not something that anyone wants to go through. You feel for the family. They're victims in this case."
True. Thanks in part to Today's heartless airing of a mother's anguish. For shame.
Aside: Today predictably exploited the story to roll tape of Sen. David Vitter's press conference of 10 months ago at which he apologized for his involvement with the call girl ring. NBC dutifully identified Vitter as "a Lousiana Republican."
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Mark, thanks for not
May 2, 2008 - 10:39 ET by WhoIsJohnGaltposting the link to the audio of the call. At least someone stills knows how to show some restraint.
I used to work in the TV
May 2, 2008 - 10:59 ET by Lancasters Saved UsI used to work in the TV news Biz as a sound tech. I got to hear everything, but really was just an observer as it is a mindless job. One day, the story of the day was about three friends on snowmobiles that crashed through the ice late at night after work.. Two died, one lived. We spent the day doing standups by the lake it happened on, with the usual sanctimonious stuff about irresponsibility. On the way back to town, we had a cell call giving us the adress of the guy who had lived. It was now getting dark, deadlines approach. We go to his house, walk up to the door, pound on it with the camera rolling. Me with my damn mic having to get it close to the person who opened the door. "Can you tell me How you feel?" I have never felt so low, and disgusted inside. No respect for the grieving. I no longer work in this job of whores, nor watch it. The despair of a Mother who has lost her child is not entertainment in a healthy world.
need some anti-numbing medication STAT
May 2, 2008 - 21:06 ET by mom_roxLSU - thank you for the insight - journalists numb to sympathy/empathy while trying to get the story.
A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw, 1944
How vile. How is this in
May 2, 2008 - 10:49 ET by Jack BauerHow vile. How is this in the public interest?
It's ghoulish and cruel, and it simply implicates us all in a shameless voyeurism, where a person's anguish is demanded by souless people to became their property too. Hideous.
Who released this?
It never ends with these
May 2, 2008 - 10:58 ET by walkIt never ends with these clowns. Anything for ratings and cash. They even bragged today about breaking the all time record for CO2 emmissions on their stupid f'ing Matt Lauer world tour.
As usual: No class, all A$$.
May 2, 2008 - 11:21 ET by motherbeltAs usual: No class, all A$$.
Crap like this reminds me of
May 2, 2008 - 11:41 ET by marpelCrap like this reminds me of when the bombing in Oklahoma occured. An on the scene reporter was running around the staging area and asking rescuers "Was there carnage?". Honestly, they're no better than those crap papers you see at the checkout counter of the grocery store. Shame on them.
Ghouls!
May 2, 2008 - 11:46 ET by R D HelmWhat the American people are looking for is somebody who can solve their problems. - Barack Obama, April 27, 2008
suicide
May 2, 2008 - 14:18 ET by candanceFox News just played the tape with a screen transcript to keep up with it.
They currently have a forensic detective with a plastic model of the human body explaining the technical process of death by hanging.
That's disgusting. Greta
May 2, 2008 - 16:39 ET by motherbeltThat's disgusting.
Greta will drag this out for weeks. Look for her to interview everyone that ever knew this woman. (Hopefully not "professionally" at least).
Mother, I thought about the
May 2, 2008 - 17:11 ET by marpelMother, I thought about the same thing...ol' Dead-Behind-the-Eyes-Greta will never stop talking about it...
Status Quo
May 2, 2008 - 15:43 ET by CooperIt's today's media as defined by Bill Bennett's "The Death Of Outrage". Ratings is king, UTUBE has set the bar for media vultures and the networks are scratching and clawing to be the biggest car wreck to get people to watch them.
{cue Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry"}
Wow, that is quite
May 2, 2008 - 19:15 ET by mostlymoderateWow, that is quite disturbing. They should be ashamed of themselves. :(
I never did understand the
May 2, 2008 - 21:22 ET by Chris NormanI never did understand the usefulness of playing 911 recordings. It's macabre, at the very least. I thought the most horrendoes comment yesterday was the FoxNews radio introduction of the story as "The DC Madam is permently out of business..." Does this show that we've lost all sense of humanity and decorum and everything can be made a joke?
Does this show that we've
May 2, 2008 - 21:30 ET by bigtimerDoes this show that we've lost all sense of humanity and decorum and everything can be made a joke?
Unfortunately....Yes.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill