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Disgusted at BBC using image of dead Gadaffi on hompeage

79 replies

Reveller · 20/10/2011 18:29

I am disgusted at the BBC for using image of dead Colonel Gadaffi as it's leading image on the BBC News homepage.

I had thought of the BBC site as a family friendly place but now I know better.

OP posts:
onequestion · 20/10/2011 19:54

I turned on Channel 5 in the half hour before Neighbours and was fairly shocked too to see pictures of his dead body. I think such a graphic picture should not be shown before 9pm and then only with warnings. It's not even about 'will children see it' although of course that is the most important thing, lots of adults would find it very disturbing too. I know I did. It's all over the internet tonight.

Sirzy · 20/10/2011 19:54

Him dying is very much newsworthy, but there is no need to show a picture of a body. Those who need to see that will see it without it being on the national news.

onagar · 20/10/2011 19:56

YABU. it is news and those of a sensitive nature can watch 'John Craven's Newsround,' instead

girliefriend · 20/10/2011 19:59

I was not expecting to see his blood splattered body all over the 6pm news, my 5yo dd was sat eating her dinner and was upset as was I.

EdithWeston · 20/10/2011 20:01

onagar - by that token, would you say that eg morgue shots from a current high profile trial should be on the BBC homepage?

'"It's news" so anything goes' is not a standard I would support - it's pretty close to the justification for phone hacking, and the excesses of he paparrazzi.

headfairy · 20/10/2011 20:03

greggs basically he was injured in a mortar attack on his convoy, he got out of the car and hid in a large drainage pipe, and then someone found him and the mob dragged him out of the pipe and beat him to death. It's really quite disturbing.

Chulita · 20/10/2011 20:04

It's news and it's important but we've always managed to get the news without having to see the corpses. I thought it was hideous and you couldn't help but see it on the BBC website. Fair enough if you click on the story but it shouldn't be paraded around. Even if you think he deserved to die it's not acceptable to show this imo.
How is this any better than other countries when they show off bodies of western soldiers? we get all shocked at that...

Ripeberry · 20/10/2011 20:05

Maybe children should be allowed to watch real dead bodies on the TV. Too many think that people dying on TV films or even on their gaming machines is 'fun'.
We are so afraid of the reality of death in this country.

You all have an OFF switch for your TVs.

Chulita · 20/10/2011 20:06

Why are people yabu-ing? it's the wrong topic isn't it? Confused

onequestion · 20/10/2011 20:06

onagar I'm 'of a sensitive nature'. I have ptsd and I would very much like to have avoided the image, but it has been everywhere. As I said I put on the tv before Neighbours of all things - a family show. Had no idea he had died at that point so had no option to change channels in advance and there were all the images of him bleeding and dying. Horrific.

onequestion · 20/10/2011 20:07

I'm not afraid of the reality of death, not one bit. I think it's really healthy that people know the reality of death and see images of it. But that's different to seeing a very bloodied body that has been beaten badly. It just is.

Sirzy · 20/10/2011 20:09

Its not about being afraid of the reality of death, its about us not needing to see certain things. Why do we need to see a picture of a dead body? There are plenty of other ways to report such news without showing images like that.

EdithWeston · 20/10/2011 20:13

I just had DH look at the BBC website - corpse pix are not on the homepage now.

I think the images were not suitable for pre-watershed transmission.

GetOrfMo1Land · 20/10/2011 20:18

I haven't seen the live footage but the pictures on the newspaper websites are bad enough.

No matter how wicked the man, I do not want to see him hauled out, bloodied and battered, and jeeringly executed. I was absolutely sickened to see it tbh. We don't need to see that.

gypsymummy · 20/10/2011 20:20

I just had to contribute ! ..I am originally from Libya. Seeing the gruesome images was very disturbing even for somene like myself who has witnessed Gaddafi's evil 42 years of brutality.For years we endured his madness in forms and ways you could only imagine in horror movies. You would never ever in your worst dreams imagine what evil he brought to his people. I think of the scores of Libyan children who have suffered in many ways and are in shock and will continue to suffer from 8 months of war and i think to myself this man killed his own people and called us rats..he actually believed his hallucinations and I realise seeing Libyans happy and celebrating his death is unpleasant and distasteful for many of us living in democratic societies but spare a thought for these people who have been living in fear, in peril for so long..caged in their own homeland..we could not say his name on the phone without worrying we would be detained, such was his grip on us. And yet I agree, more care should be given when showing images of a gruesome nature.

headfairy · 20/10/2011 20:23

gypsymummy Totally agree.. I think you can only understand the sort of jubilation and sheer hysteria (I use that word carefully) if you've been subject to the awful oppression of the last 42 years.

Ponders · 20/10/2011 20:28

I didn't find the celebrations distasteful, gypsymummy - just the video footage

onagar · 20/10/2011 20:59

I think some will consider it important to 'see' that he is dead once and for all. Dead for certain and not going to return later from exile.

Personally I don't enjoy seeing dead bodies, but am not upset by it. I think some people have been too sheltered and thus become unable to deal with what after all is a perfectly normal part of life. We all die and many of us will have to deal at some stage with a relative who dies.

As for the comment someone made about pictures on the BBC site 'pre-watershed' I'm afraid you have misunderstood the nature of the internet.

EdithWeston · 20/10/2011 21:03

No, onagar, discussions in the thread have covered a) the website, b) transmissions pre-watershed on BBC1 and SKY and c) the likelihood of corpse pix being in the papers tomorrow.

The only poster who has conflated watershed and Internet is you.

onequestion · 20/10/2011 21:05

Gypsymummy I also didn't find the rest of the footage bad, just the footage of his body. I'm so very thrilled for all Libyans who have lived in such dreadful fear that one chapter has now been closed. I don't think most people could even imagine what lots of Libyans have lived through.

Enjoy your moment of having hope for the future and relief that a lot of the suffering that has gone on will now end.

Auntiestablishment · 20/10/2011 21:10

I agree. I popped onto the BBC website at work mid-afternoon and thought it was really unnecessary and voyeuristic to show a dead/dying, bloody picture on the front page.

The BBC generally doesn't show such images at all, let alone where you can't help but see them on the front page. Were their "appropriateness" department having a day off?

southeastastra · 20/10/2011 21:13

it's news and sometimes if we saw the realities of the world it might open our eyes more

if you want bbc friendly watch newsround

BecauseImAWerewolefIt · 20/10/2011 21:39

You're quite right, this isn't AIBU. Apologies. Just got used to so many people piling into AIBU all the time Grin

But the rest of my comments stand. It's a major news story. The 6 o'clock news has always been about what's going on in the world; it isn't about what our children should or shouldn't see.

Meglet · 20/10/2011 21:44

It's not pretty but it's the reality of war and life.

I don't enjoy seeing dead bodies on the TV but I prefer that than living in blissful ignorance. Many thousands of people end their lives in a gruesome / tragic way. Pretending it doesn't happen isn't going to help anyone.

Solopower · 20/10/2011 22:43

Channel 4 News was worse - it was on right at the beginning with the credits. You couldn't avoid it and there was no warning. There has definitely been a gradual process of desensitisation to violence on the media, and I hate it!

But the main thing is: yes, Gaddafy was a monster, but he didn't do it alone. I don't really get why people go after individuals - even hugely powerful ones like Gaddafy - when it was a whole regime that committed the atrocities.

However, I don't think they should all be hunted down either. In fact a big danger is that people will start settling scores, and the Transitional Council won't be able to get started on rebuilding the country and introducing democracy. At some point you have to move on - though I have no idea how you could do that if you have lost loved ones.