Austin Hemmings - media milking it too much?

[skidMark]

Austin hemmings, the man who ran to the womens aid in auckland city, and ended up stabbed to death, im sure we have seen most of it...

The man was a hero basically and tragically his family have lost him.

But in my daily looksie around nz herald site i found these.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/im...lery_id=102788

Okay so the fmaily was on the news prior to the funeral sharing memories of him etc, apart from that i think the media should have only documented the intvestigation itself...

yet the above link shows pictures of the family crying and grieving at the funeral. alot of pictures showing thier grief.

i just don't think it is right, why could they not have the funeral in peace without a photographer snapping away the entire thing.

Any comments on the appropriateness of this, i know if a family member of mine was killed i would be happy to do an interview as shown on the tv last week. but snapping photos of a distraught family simply for commercial profit.

There is a line, and the media lately seem to have no problem in crossing it.

Just my thoughts...

R.I.P Austin.

skidMark.

[Oscar]

Austin was my good friend and colleague.

Jenny invited the media to the service, they weren't intrusive and they were respectful.

[R6_kid:Me]

It's called tradgedy Mark. When it happens for real the papers milk it for all they can, it sells papers, and that makes them money.

[skidMark]

Austin was my good friend and colleague.

Jenny invited the media to the service, they weren't intrusive and they were respectful.

Ok okay then i guess i was wrong to assume they were just snapping away....

cheers for that mate and sorry for the loss.

(on a side note i do have 2 grand owing to IAG paying off so if you could loose those files it would be just peachey.)

It's called tradgedy Mark. When it happens for real the papers milk it for all they can, it sells papers, and that makes them money.

yeah so somebody great loss is somebody's profitable gain.

power/ money corrupts eh.

[Boob Johnson]

Have to say I agree with the milking part. A sad sad loss for family & friends no doubt, a bloody tragedy but a different article everyday since its happened?? A lil over the top for sure.

[skidMark]

Have to say I agree with the milking part. A sad sad loss for family & friends no doubt, a bloody tragedy but a different article everyday since its happened?? A lil over the top for sure.

Yes but as the other fella posted the family cleared it through, i just know i wouldnt want to be having photos of me balling my eyes out all over the internet news at my fathers funeral.

[Virago]

So you compounded the problem by posting further links to it on the internet?

[Beemer]

I think the media - and probably his family - is just trying to make sense of his death and find something good to hold onto. I'm not a religious person but their faith is obviously a big part of the healing process for them and as long as they are happy with the media interest, then that is fine by me.

It's always the way though, the decent ones like Austin Hemmings ARE the ones who are lost way before their time. I don't know that I agree with the definition of him as a hero - by all accounts he was just a decent human being and one who was prepared to step up and try to help someone. It's just a huge shame it ended up costing him his life.

[Genestho]

I think the media - and probably his family - is just trying to make sense of his death and find something good to hold onto. I'm not a religious person but their faith is obviously a big part of the healing process for them and as long as they are happy with the media interest, then that is fine by me.

It's always the way though, the decent ones like Austin Hemmings ARE the ones who are lost way before their time. I don't know that I agree with the definition of him as a hero - by all accounts he was just a decent human being and one who was prepared to step up and try to help someone. It's just a huge shame it ended up costing him his life.

Yea they probably want to show how much he is loved and how much they have lost, their faith is their healer, and that is admirable and I hope it continues to help them through the dark times to come.
The tv media appeared to me to hound us, when they were calling my house every five minutes to get into my hubbys funeral, I said they could stay outside, that our grief is private. I felt so sick that at a time like that - they wanted in.



+ 1 mate

[Oscar]

Ok okay then i guess i was wrong to assume they were just snapping away....

cheers for that mate and sorry for the loss.

(on a side note i do have 2 grand owing to IAG paying off so if you could loose those files it would be just peachey.)

I just can't get a handle on things.
He was a gentle man, much admired by anyone who knew him.
He was one of two people I've met that made me doubt my Atheism - in the light of his life and death, the strength of his family, I perhaps doubt my doubts, as it were...

I don't work for IAG, I worked with Austin in Hamilton until he left to go back to IAG last year.

[doc]

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-sto...-murder-scene/

How can someone be expected to be involved in this effectively after working this many hours.

[skidMark]

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-sto...-murder-scene/

How can someone be expected to be involved in this effectively after working this many hours.

yeah makes you wonder, sounds like a bs excuse for incompetency if you ask me.

[Brett]

Ok okay then i guess i was wrong to assume they were just snapping away....

cheers for that mate and sorry for the loss.

(on a side note i do have 2 grand owing to IAG paying off so if you could loose those files it would be just peachey.)


yeah so somebody great loss is somebody's profitable gain.

power/ money corrupts eh.

In this case it appears that their actions were sanctioned and at the request of the family, however I do agree that often they do not give any respect to the families and just go ahead with their (often) ill-informed public manipulation and show the families utter disrespect.
It is an old problem though. I suppose I would like to see more journalists held accountable for manipulating the flow of information and dramatising stories for sell-ability rather than information reporting.