Are the media being unprofessional re Air India crash?

[rhomb]

The Air India crash has at one survivor (so far). Heard that the media are bombarding the relatives of this survivor. I find this unprofessional and harassing, especially when the survivor’s brother was on the same flight.

I wish the media will stop trying to get stories from anybody as sensational. It’s not.

Also no need for news specials with presenters asking questions to correspondents and experts who don’t know the answer as the info hasn’t been available etc. Then rephrase it. Again so unprofessional.

it's all for clicks though isn't it. Many people lap it up unfortunately.

@Naddd you’re right. I might have been one of those people who came across surprised at the absolutely overt racism, probably sounding pretty naive about it. For that I apologise.

I’m just astounded by the blatant National Front rhetoric passing as comments under some of those DM stories, and the stuff passing as humour. It makes me feel sick.

There was one comment in particular which was so disgusting I can’t bring myself to post it here. What is wrong with people who post stuff like that when mothers, brothers, husbands, wives, friends, have died in the most unexpected and shocking way?

I do think this is a new social media phenomenon: people can post the most hateful, thoughtless comments with zero comeback. In the past, at least if you were hateful and spouting shit, your neighbours would probably have the measure of you. Sometimes sunlight isn’t the best disinfectant, it’s the thing that allows the weeds to take up more space than they deserve :(

Disgraceful reporting by the BBC on the plane crash, it was so intrusive it was painful to watch.
the reporters revelling in the total misery of it all … it’s utterly shameful.
ive done my complaint and i hope many others will too.

It’s so disgusting. Racists don’t even see POC as human beings.

@Gattopardo the comment section of the DM is a cesspit. The paper itself is banned from being used as a source on wikipedia (which for my sins I edit a lot).

Regards that poor relative of the man who survived, the shock he must be in right now is unimaginable. The media (even the reputable ones) does not care about the wellbeing of such people though. Clicks and views is their priority.

Agree wholeheartedly that the BBC coverage was disgraceful. All that was required today was a simple, respectful presentation of the facts, that many have died and one man has survived.

The relatives interviewed had obviously not had time to process the facts, and should not have been subjected to such intrusive and banal questioning.

It’s abhorrent. I remember having the BBC coverage of the July 7th bombings on in the background and having to turn it off as one of the journalists was quizzed for a description of the scenes and almost sounded ecstatic as he described the gory details. I’ve never heard anything like it. So disrespectful.

Same for me and when I tried to put a complaint in to the BBC you have to verify it with a link they emailed but the link didn't work.

Do bears shit in the woods?

Don't you come for the wildlife camera team bits at the end of every Attenborough episode........

It's a bit like that.

The media have had a habit of harrassing those involved in high profile accidents for years.

I was in the military flying business many years back and we had to have procedures to get effectively protection in place around bereaved relatoves PDQ following a crash, especially those who lived off camp, because the press would be on the family's doorstep within minutes of the accident....in one infamous case the reporter beat the informing officer to a relative....

Social media and comms had made it worse.

..and as with anything technical the press haven't got a scooby do what happened and frankly neither have most of the "aviation experts" they use, and that includes many of the retired pilots and travel writers they wheel out.

That’s abysmal. Vultures.

I have made a complaint to BBC but Ofcom want a BBC complaint number. Haven't got one.

Here's what I wrote

The way your reporters expected to talk to the sole survivor's family in Leicester is disgusting. The survivor's brother was also on that flight. They also lost a son, a brother, a cousin, a nephew. Possibly a father and a husband. The manner is harassing. Leave the family in peace as their emotions are messed up - joy and grieving. Your reporters' behaviour is not helping the families.

Your eagerness to expect immediate answers when something major happens such as the Air India crash on 12/6/25 is unprofessional.

This has happened in other major news stories. The presenters in the studio ask questions to correspondents either at the scene or nearby. The correspondent says they don't have that information. Then they rephrase the question. Why doesn't the news presenter understand that rephrasing the question does not achieve anything? Also the same goes to experts in the studio or remotely too. People want facts, NOT speculation, theories and rumours.

Please do not put News Specials on the BBC One, unless is death of the King. If people want to watch the news, why not put a banner on the bottom of the screen to list the different channel numbers for each platform - Freeview, Sky etc for BBC News channel.

It's the UK media doing what it always does. Disgraceful as always.

The media are a big part of the root of many of the big problems today. They generally sensationalise and go into excess just for clicks with little regard for those caught up in said story.

ITV was intrusive too. News opened with footage of explosion, then it was immediately followed by news anchor giving a warning that they were going to show the crash which some viewers might find upsetting! They’d just shown it with no warning! So it was shown twice within a minute.

And why was she reporting live from Gatwick? There was no need, we all know the plane was due to land during the broadcast. They were squeezing every ounce of emotion possible for their own purposes. Sickening and gross.

I don't think they sensationalise much more than they did maybe 30 plus years ago...but then the TV news had maybe 10-15 min max to cover a story so needed to be concise.

As I see it the modern problem is the need to fill rolling news channels with something, anything, 24/7.

An accident like yesterday's is a godsend to those channels....grab footage, any footage, put it on a loop, try and get something, anything from anyone remotely involved and failing that, get someone on speed dial to speculate.

Agreed. I was appalled that the BBC showed that. It's ambulance chasing. It's not new. Journalists have always behaved very badly around anyone involved in a high profile crime or accident. It's just much easier for them now that they can trawl social media and lift people's posts and pictures.

I did get a link that worked and then was sent a complaints reference number. Did you check your spam/junk (sorry if I am stating the obvious)

Clickbait is definitely a thing. A lot of the media get revenue from clicks.

You lot really don't remember the media harassing the people of Lockerbie, or those searching for little April Jones, or..?

Why the pearl clutching now?

You watch this shite. That's why they make it.

You lap up all sorts of shite about evil Megan Markle or why Covid lockdown breakers are bad or about wicked wicked Putin coming to get you or the mental health struggles of this Z-list celeb and by the way there's a book they're promoting, but suddenly overnight you realise the BBC is a pile of unprincipled wank?

There have never been any standards with the media. Just look at the Nicola Bulley case. I had to switch off during that and it was almost like the public wanted it to be a murder case rather than an accident. The family really suffered due to the media unnecessarily.

I think it's awful this man is all over the papers. Upsetting for him and his family. It feels like the media owns him because something terrible has happened to him. He hasn't even had time to mentally process what has happened. I am all for remembering the bereaved if that is the family's wishes, but it feels like this man never had a choice and was bombarded.

I do think there needs to be an analysis of what the media does in this country. It has a job to do - an important one - but it is not serving the public as it should be. The quality of journalism is very poor and sometimes it is completely irresponsible, but it is because we demand so much of it. Quality journalism takes a lot of time, and we expect news 24/7.

Please share your secret. How are you such an amazing human being? What guru do you follow to have ascended so high that you can sit in judgement?

I was once trained by a former journalist who covered the Kegworth air disaster. He was incredibly honest and it was absolutely fascinating how he explained the public thirst for victim stories and the ruthless media agenda. It also sealed my decision that this kind of journalism wasn't for me, and I took a different path.

What a terrible tragedy, my thoughts are with all the families of those who died. And of course with the gentleman who by some miracle escaped. Imagine being the sole survivor of something so awful. On the one hand, immense relief. And on the other, a lifetime of PTSD.

Any post that starts “you lot” gives an unfortunate hint of what’s to come. Yours didn’t disappoint.