To feel sorry for the Australian DJs?

[andapartridgeinaRowantree]

Obviously more sorry for the nurse's family. I wonder how long she was having suicidal thoughts for? I can't think this could have been the only cause,

But these pranks have been going on for such a long time and those DJs could not have predicted such a result and are going to have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

It's such a tragedy and I feel very sad for all concerned.

And now they have gone on A Current Affair and Today Tonight* to talk about how gutted they are and we are now being told we need to feel sorry for them, poor things.

Both scummy shows in their own right.

Because of course this is all about them and how upset and sad they are.

Honestly, what a clusterfuck.

I don't feel sorry for the DJs at all.

I do wonder if the nurse was worried that the royals would take legal action against her, given their reaction to those topless photos earlier this year.

I'm not questioning whether the previous legal action was right or wrong, just wondering if it may have had a bearing here.

Just seen an Australian DJ interviewed and I am disgusted by what he said and the fact that Lorraine didn't pull him up on them.

Another point of view

Another Aussie tv journalist who was involved in a report resulting in a similar tradgedy writes about her experience. Pretty grim all round.

I think it's massively ironic that the news media who stoked this whole affair are now baying for the blood of the 2 dj's - fools though they may be.

Interesting that many (not all) of the posts expressing sympathy for the two DJs are rather victim-blaming.

Essentially saying you know, how awful this woman died but basically its her own fault?

You know, she answered the phone at.five thirty in the morning, probably coming towards then end of a twelve hour shift. Nurses/midwives don't get programmed rest breaks (they should, but don't always) - they can be on their feet all that time.

She will have been exhausted, and factor in the fact she's not a native English speaker, she may not have picked up the nuances of accent. Its easy to say of course it was a fake in hindsight and when you're a native English speaker you can pick up inflections/tone/accent that someone who isn't a native speaker might not.

Of course the hospital has should have procedures in place to deal with this sort of thing, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if what actually happened at the hospital is different to the official line.

That's an interesting and thoughtful article Claudia thanks for the link.

I expect how the djs feel is genuine, because it must be unimaginably horrific having hatred beamed at you from the round the globe.

oh fgs it's not victim blaming to suggest that the call shouldn't have made it through. It shouldn't have. And no 5:30 at the end of shift isn't good enough reasoning - what other mistakes would we let go through on a medical ward at that time of the morning...

This woman didn't bring it on herself, her death is tragic, no-one is disputing that. But equally these dj's have now become victims of the media they represent. But it's presumably ok to blame them since they're not dead. Maybe people won't be happy until they are?

Two wrongs don't make a right.

It's clear from the interview with the djs they expected whet would normally happen in circumstances like this. A security agent would pick up the phone and tell them to get lost.

I agree with the poster who said managers in both side bare responsibility. The hospital for not having adequate security in place and the radio station management for playing the recording. It should have been canned.

There was what they expected and then there was what happened, was reviewed in full and allowed to go on air.

seeker and wannaBe make logical observations.

There were two wrongs:

1. the DJs even thinking that they could pull this off, fully (and correctly) expecting an earful of dial tone or a crisp blocking from the person in charge of security.

1. A hospital that had not provided adequate and robust security training for all staff. Most private insituations feeling with high profile clients have this as a matter of course. There are strict procedures and protocols in place which are regularly tested and often they will hire outside organisations to 'hack' them to highlight potential areas of weakness and ensure the security necessities are kept at the front of everyone's minds.

I believe both of these situations contributed to the tragedy along with many other unknowns. To direct such ire and blame at just two players in this awful scenario is, as we have seen, dangerous.

It's clear from the interview with the djs they expected whet would normally happen in circumstances like this. A security agent would pick up the phone and tell them to get lost

See, that now makes me feel less sympathy for them, not more. Having now seen clips of them on the news I'm afraid their self-justification has made me far angrier with them than I was before.

1. They 'pranked' a hospital. On what planet is a hospital a good target? A place where sick people go, a place where people die. A place where people get the best and the worst news. Somewhere where staff are run off their feet, where things can go from great to shit in the blink of an eye.

1. There was a sick woman at the centre of all this. Someone who could have been losing her baby (or in extreme cases, her life) as they are making jokes at her expense.

1. They could have lost people their jobs. It would have been very easy for the hospital management to sack either of the nurses.

1. They caused global humiliation for this poor lady. Even if she hadn't killed herself can you imagine trying to live with that? Can you imagine being her teenage children going to school the next day "Your mum's the dickhead on YouTube" Children have been bullied for far less.

I would have had far more sympathy and even admiration had the two DJs come out and said "We were idiots, we didn't think this through, we shouldn't have done it and we'll never do something so stupid again" rather than whining "But we didn't know this would happen"

(and one the interview I saw, the presenter/interviewer had me shouting at the TV "Oh I hope someone is looking after you, you seem so depressed" grrrr, save your compassion for the two kids waking up without one of their parents)

I don't see that Jacintha made a mistake. As a few of us have pointed out, English was not her first language, and she therefore was less likely to spot an Australian attempting to imitate the Queen. However, the hospital management (and the Royals' security team) should have had robust procedures in place for such calls coming through. All staff should have been trained; it looks like poor Jacintha wasn't.
And the Australian radio station team are in it up to their necks - they are the ones who knew darn well they shouldn't have broadcast it, as evidenced by the fact they're saying they tried 5 times to get through for permission, like that vindicates them. In fact, it proves that they knew they needed permission, didn't get it, and yet went ahead and aired it anyway.

The nurses were let down my their managers- and the DJs were let down by theirs. Let's put the blame where it belongs.

I think the hospital certainly should bear some responsibility, and I do think it is victim blaming to insist that Ms Saldanha should take responsibility for what happened.

The fact remains that the DJs who made the prank call are indirectly responsible for her death, whether they intended it or not, and as had been stated previously lack of intent doesn't mean you aren't culpable.

The intent behind the call, as with most prank calls, was mean spirited and cruel and how utterly humiliating to have it broadcast nationally with everyone saying you should be sacked/laughing at you. That's what happened to Ms Saldanha.

I'm not surprised they are in a state given how events have developed and I do feel a measure of sympathy for them - but where was Ms Saldanha's support?

LTXmas, I agree with you. I feel more anger now.

Why do they feel the need to try to justify themselves on TV? They could have released a statement apologising profusely and offering to set up a trust fund for the nurse's family. No, they decide they'll go on TV and let everyone "see" how upset they are and victim blame.

Why do they feel the need to try to justify themselves on TV?

Perhaps the death threats they've been receiving from around the world played a hand in that decision?

Mass murderers have had better press than this pair.

I will just say though, I certainly don't condone death threats and so on that have been levelled at these two idiots.

and yes, they were let down by their managers that should never have let this be broadcast in the first place.

I agree with QLB that I don't think they should have appeared on TV, and a suitably worded statement plus trust fund, or large donation to The Samaritans (or similar) would have sent a better message.

I don't realise they'd had death threats. That is awful and the people doing it should be tracked down and arrested.

However I still don't understand why going on TV would stop idiots sending death threats. I would think doing that would make it worse.

The dj's knew what they were doing, they made a decision to make the call and then broadcast it knowing full well that it would leave the nurses open to ridicule, humiliation and possibly loose their jobs.

Also because of who was involved, they must have known it would go global as it did, and now the backlash has gone global, tough tittie on them, they are publicity seeking knob jockeys who are now getting what they deserve

The nurses involved had no choice in the matter, they were unfortunate victims

the vitriol against this pair has reached ridiculous levels.

I understand the TV appearance. A simple statement would not have been enough for some people.

I feel sorrier than ever before for them.

It's bad enough that someone has lost their life over these events, please please can people stop writing there must have been something up with the lady who lost her life 1) because it's very disrespectful of her and very disrespectful for those she has left behind and 2) because it's just simply poor taste and wrong to speculate, it comes across as sort of seeking to blame the victim. Wait for the inquest before commenting.

I personally could do without seeing these DJs' faces plastered everywhere. Yes, they're sorry. I bet they bloody are. Actions have consequences - I am glad they are sorry - they should be - a woman has died. I find it deeply crass that the female DJ says she wanted to 'reach out and hug' the kids though.

Of course the DJs don't deserve death threats but they are not victims. To say so is ridiculous; the only victims of this stupid phone call were Jacintha, her family and the DoC, whose privacy was invaded.

Oh and Jacintha - poor woman - picked up the phone at 5.30am in the quiet ward as the receptionist was not there. So quit harping on about lack of training etc. Bloody hell, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to help - stop making her out to be incompetent.

It's about time people learn to have boundaries - that goes for the DJs and their pathetic employers, the intrusive media and those who feel they can judge what drives - or is good enough to drive someone to suicide.

But it wasn't just the DJs having a bright idea to call the hospital. It was pre recorded and apparently the station attempted to call back to get the nurses permission for secretly recording their conversation.

So the radio station knew they were on dodgy legal ground...

Whether English was her first language or not is completely irrelevant.

Without knowing and implementing the correct protocol, thus compromising the security and medical confidentiality of the patient, absolutely anybody, whatever their grasp of the nuances or accent, could have made this mistake.

they appeared more sorry for themselves than for the victims of their joke, as others have said a very simple genuine apology would have meant more than bleating on about how they didnt know this would happen