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Original poster

Since when has it been ok to show graphic footage on the 6o'clock news?

21 replies

frumpygrumpy · 28/09/2006 18:31

I'm pretty mad.

As me and the kids tidied up the kitchen before coming upstairs for baths, I switched off CBeebies and left the news on so I could catch up on the world....

There was horrendous footage of a truck driver in Iraq coming under fire in which (I think) 7 colleagues were killed. It was his own video footage and whilst the pictures were not extremely clear they were clear enough to my 5 year old. Worse still was hearing his voice - terrified, clear and describing that they had just murdered two colleages. I was so stunned I didn't turn off but I'm mad as hell now.

Its questionable whether this sort of reporting is useful at all and especially disgusting and dramatic to glamourise it on 6 o'clock news. They also showed (grainy and distant) footage of one of the bodies being stripped with a clear voice over to explain.

I'm mad . Or am I crazy and is this perfectly acceptable?

OP posts:
CalifornifamousFanjo · 28/09/2006 18:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChiefSuptGobbledigook · 28/09/2006 18:34

I don't know but I just don't have the news on with the children about for this very reason.

Original poster
frumpygrumpy · 28/09/2006 18:34

I often do flick on (just for 5/10 mins at that time) and mostly its ok, I'd hate to have to hide the news from them, I regularly chat to DD about things on the news. I'm just mad that that news item made it on at that time.

OP posts:
trinityrhino · 28/09/2006 18:35

never watch the news for this reason and because I find it hard to cope emotionally after watching the horridness that goes on in the world

Original poster
frumpygrumpy · 28/09/2006 18:35

She's learned about eclipses, the PM, even our museum on the local news, why should I have to hide all that stuff too? I'm not getting at you guys, just peed off.

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Marina · 28/09/2006 18:36

Six o'clock news a big no-no in our house too. I don't think the watershed rules apply to news bulletins. Sorry your children saw it though frumpygrumpy - but I wouldn't describe what you saw as glamourising violence tbh.

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 28/09/2006 18:38

I got a huge phobia of escaltors when I was little because my parents never let me watch the news/talked to me about it and I happened to hear/see a tiny snippet about the Kings Cross Fire - I only heard enough to understand escalotor/fire and that was it - I was terrfied - also saw some pictures in the newspapers the following day with the headlines and that just ingrained into my head even more.........of course when I was older and allowed to watch the news, and was able to find out more about what had happened I realised how stupid my phobia was and really rue the fact that my parents 'hid' the news (even the 'nasty' bits) from me.

Original poster
frumpygrumpy · 28/09/2006 18:41

I think I stomped my words out too quickly, I think I meant to say sensationalise it and dramatise it. Its a horrible thing, not entertainment. How would I feel if my poor DP was all over the news being killed for the world to see. I think reporting it is fine, we must be aware. But not at that time.

Rant over (sigh), screaming children waiting......

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serenity · 28/09/2006 18:45

They did warn viewers just before it was shown, but obviously that's not much good if you come in in the middle of it!

ChiefSuptGobbledigook · 28/09/2006 18:45

I just don't want to have to explain war etc to a 5 and 3 year old. Childhood is short enough as it is - they don't need to be worrying about this kind of thing at such a young age.

I can see and accept arguments for and against letting young ones watch the news but the decision I've made for my children is that, for now, I'll protect them from things that are going to worry them.

tribpot · 28/09/2006 18:46

I know what you mean - I didn't watch it but it was on in the background. There was a warning beforehand but even so. Should CBBC start up a 'Newsround' channel so there is news we can watch with our kids?

southeastastra · 28/09/2006 19:28

kids don't really take it in though do they?

Original poster
frumpygrumpy · 28/09/2006 19:39

Thanks for your points. I would normally switch over if something like that came on (totally agree about children not having to worry about this stuff). Its just disappointing that they think its suitable for the time of night. I'd love a newsround type channel. My dd is quite keen on news stuff, as I was.

OP posts:
Pruni · 28/09/2006 19:46

Message withdrawn

LIZS · 28/09/2006 19:53

Complain . When ds was little, fortunately too little to be aware, they showed close ups of bodies in the aftermath of the Kenyan US Embassy explosion on the lunch time news. It wasn't live so no excuse for it to be unedited. BBC got loads of complaints and apologised. To my mind the news has got more sensationalist and graphic since 9/11 and don't think there is really such a need for it or that it should be acceptable.

DontlookatmeImshy · 28/09/2006 20:04

I've stopped watching the news for this reason. It disturbs me, never mind a small child and quite frankly it just sensationalist and unnessecary (imho).Sometimes it bad enough to hear what has gone on, I don't need it ramming down my optical nerves as well.

Toady · 28/09/2006 20:31

Occasionally DH and I will put the news on just to catch up really. Refuse to buy the national papers.

It just depresses us, I feel like I should know what is going on outside of our world but then feel powerless to do anything.

joelallie · 29/09/2006 08:10

I only heard it on the radio and that was upsetting enough. I do think that children should be able to watch tne news but preferably with an adult there to mediate it. But I do agree that there is no need to show anything so graphic - the report in words would be quite enough. Do they think that we won't beleive them without graphic images?

FrannyandZooey · 29/09/2006 08:15

I turn the radio off if the news comes on - ds is only 3. It's all much too much. I don't think I would let children younger than teenagers watch the news, sadly, and I never watch it myself

donnie · 30/09/2006 18:03

I prefer the radio news to be honest - I tend to listen to radio 4 while giving the kids their tea. It's qiote detailed but with none of the visuals ( obviously)! having said that dd1 ( nearly 5) does pick up a fair bit of it.

rustybear · 01/10/2006 18:35

It's not that new a trend. In 1998 when there was a revolution in Indonesia, the BBC broadcast about it had pictures of charred bodies in a firebombed shop. My sister & her husband were at the Embassy there at the time & I had her two DS's with me (aged 15 & 12) for half term. They wanted to watch the news but I was terrified that there'd be more pictures of that kind. My sister had told them the revolution wasn't all that serious, but in fact as she told me later it was pretty horrific.

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