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April 18, 2007

PLANET MORONIA: Larry King & Virginia Tech

CNN’s King seems to need a lesson in sensitivity

 

 

Larry King appears to have won (so far) the award for most insensitive question asked by a news host of a victim or friend or relative of a victim of Monday’s massacre at Virginia Tech. Such an award of course isn't given lightly, and given the competition, says a lot.

 

While speaking to Omar Samaha, brother of a girl slain during the rampage, King actually asked him:

 

“Omar, how did -- what does this do to you, as a graduate of this school and now you lose your sister?” (source: CNN/LexisNexis)

What does it do to you as a graduate of this school having this terrible tragedy unfold…and oh, by the way, what does it feel like to have your sister murdered on top of that?

As someone who has lost a family member, it truly was amazing to listen to the interview, and more so considering what is lost in the transcript: the apparently calloused, predatory tone with which the question above was asked.  Both King and CNN (and other networks engaged in similar behavior) should be ashamed of what seems little other than another example of sensational journalistic predation for the sake of ratings. While it is important to report the news and clarify the story, asking someone the day after the loss of someone close what it does to them just strikes me as something far beyond the pale of reasonable newsgathering.

 

 

Posted by Martin at April 18, 2007 02:11 AM

Comments

Gosh Martin does their insensitivity ever end!

Posted by: Angel at April 18, 2007 08:53 AM

That was a stupid question, but one of many stupid questions asked over the past 48 + hours. These students were exceptionally mature, I was extremely impressed with the answers from every student I heard interviewed. The journalists could take a lesson from the students, who formed their answers very carefully.

Posted by: Debbie at April 18, 2007 09:22 AM

So true, y'all. Another journalist who's literally made me cringe has been Geraldo on Fox; his decades-spanning career is filled with countless examples of hype and sensationalism and the past 48 hours have been no different.

Another criticism of Fox: adding the "sad music" only makes it seem all the more insincere. A bit tabloidesque, in fact. We don't need emotionalism in reporting such things; they are already plenty sad on their own, I think.

Posted by: Martin at April 18, 2007 09:50 AM