I submitted this letter to the editor on August 4, 2010. Because I doubt it will be published, I am doing so here. :
I am disgusted by the Hartford Courant‘s coverage of the tragedy at Hartford Distributors. The murders, unfortunate and heartbreaking, are not something that the Courant and other media should exploit. There is no reason to provide audio from the 911 call, publish paparazzi-style photos of Thornton’s (or anyone else’s) grieving friends and family, or barrage us with blow-by-blow details on Twitter. This incident has been damaging enough to the workers, their friends and families, and to the community. The Hartford Courant would do well to review the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, particularly: “Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage” and “Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.” There are ways to report a story without dramatizing it.
This was sent to the Courant, but could easily be sent to a number of other mainstream media outlets in Connecticut that have been practicing poor judgment while reporting on this story. While it might be the norm to saturate the reading and viewing public with such lurid details, it should not be.
One of the few outlets that has demonstrated a truly journalistic approach has been the Hartford Guardian, which focused on difficult questions without providing graphic details.
