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news watershed?

31 replies

monstersmummy · 20/09/2005 08:55

Does anyone else think that there should be a watershed on what images are shown on the news?

I was horrified by the pictures of soldiers on fire on the GMTV news this morning and was just about to switch over to another channel when my 2 year old noticed. he has been upset ever since and has just settled now. he kept saying man fire mummy fire hot. He knows that fire is hot and he knows that ppl are not supposed to be on fire and for them to think that it is ok to show those images appals me. I thought the floating dead bodies in New Orleans was horrific enough without this as well. And lets not mention the effect that the London bus bomb had on him. I don't drive so need to use public transport. needless to say that has become a bit of a problem.

I am aware of the publics need to see such things BUT at a reasonable hour please!

OP posts:
girrafey · 20/09/2005 09:09

i totally agree. when the shooting and hostage situation took place in the school i had the news on, and my charge woke up from her nap and came into the lounge as children naked and screaming were running out with blood over them.
she was distraught for hours.
and wet the bed that night for the first time in 5 months!!
i was shocked as well.
i understand if it was on the news channels only but on the general lunch time news was horrific.
but then, i have to day i was watching it with tears streaming down my face and couldnt turn it off. ( until she appeared of course)

emkana · 20/09/2005 09:12

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but how about not watching the news when your children are around?

girrafey · 20/09/2005 09:16

no i do agree, and i dont normally watch it to be honest!! ( hides)
but had to follow this story and only put it on when she was in bed.
admittedly was glued to the scenes.
but i was thinking for older children. my neice say is 6 and when is allowed after her bath can go and turn on the tv for 30 mins before bed. it is always about the 6 o clock news and tv automatically turns onto bbc.
but then saying that when would be a good water shed for it?
it is hard to judge i guess.

Marina · 20/09/2005 09:17

I agree emkana. I think you have to switch to a video, or CBeebies or CBBC, if there are little ones around. That's what I do. When there is a major situation, I have the radio on.
Sadly in these times I think you just have to aim to give all news coverage a wide berth - shocking images can appear from all corners of the world.
Main news broadcasts are aimed at the whole population and won't be censored at any hour of the day because of the presence of small children. It's down to us to manage it I'm afraid.

Twiglett · 20/09/2005 09:18

I think maybe you should consider listening to the radio instead

girrafey · 20/09/2005 09:21

yeah i learnt my lesson. when my dd gets older, i will only put tv on her channels or video etc myself.
just incase she gets any glances.
have to say i dont watch the news or listen to the radio, a paper is more for me.
but it must be harder when the children are old enough to turn it on themselves.

foxinsocks · 20/09/2005 09:27

I don't see why there couldn't be a watershed for news - there's one for films/programs/adverts

Marina · 20/09/2005 09:30

foxinsocks, they are "entertainment", though.

I think there might be issues relating to the BBC's Charter to provide timely news coverage to the nation which mean it has an obligation to cover news whenever it is broadcasting. Obviously, they make editorial decisions about images and footage that we as parents find inappropriate during the day, but I think that is how they can and do defend showing stuff that would not be broadcast in any film or drama before 9pm.

hunkermunker · 20/09/2005 09:33

I didn't like seeing the photograph of the Harvey Nicks shooter, dead on the floor, in the papers the other day.

Unnecessary gawping-type press, IMO.

foxinsocks · 20/09/2005 09:42

yes, I thought that picture on the Standard was completely unnecessary - I nearly wrote in to tell them. I mean that front page is everywhere in London and easy for kids to see (mine actually asked what was wrong with him).

I'm sure you're right Marina and in a way, it would hand news coverage to Sky (because you could argue that as a dedicated news channel, they could show what they wanted during the day) but I can't help wondering whether we necessarily need all this gore on the news (at least the day time news).

Marina · 20/09/2005 09:52

The papers I am far crosser with, you are both right. The Standard's despicable billboard "Harvey Nichols Shooting - in Pictures" for example.
Now ds (six) is a nosy parker reader we may have to switch to Le Monde or the FT , both almost pictureless.
I think that when the whole country goes digital fis, there may well be a case for BBC News 24, by then available throughout the UK, to be the designated full-on news channel, and for the BBC and other news carriers to be more cautious about what they show in their bulletins during the day...

Orinoco · 20/09/2005 21:30

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 20/09/2005 21:31

I just wish that the news (TV or papers) didn't do a Sixth Sense with their photos...you know, "I see dead people..." Well, I'd rather not thanks.

JoolsToo · 20/09/2005 21:32

Gawd - I've missed a lot of news

who is on fire and who has been shot?

madmarchhare · 20/09/2005 21:33

A bloke shot himself after walking into Harvey Niks and shooting woman behind counter.

gingerbear · 20/09/2005 21:35

I always switch over to cbeebies in these circumstances. My main news watching is done after 9pm when DD is safely tucked up.

spidermama · 20/09/2005 21:35

Totally agree monstermummy. There is a taste threshold here believe it or not, and news editors are very careful about what they deem to be acceptable.
Have you seen news pictures in other European countries.

I can still remember a horrifying image I saw as a child when watching a news bulletin, and it has haunted me ever since.

Original poster
monstersmummy · 20/09/2005 22:00

tbh i rarely watch the news...but its really p'd me off that there is no consideration made for "minors" who may be innocently watching.

i realise i have the option to turn over and i do it has just got on my nerves that those scenes can be shown with no regard

OP posts:
nooka · 20/09/2005 22:01

I never have adult channels on unless the children are asleep. Except for the occasional sporting event (although the children do object!). If I am wanting to know the news I will check it out on line.

Skribble · 21/09/2005 01:37

I don't tend to watch news when kids are around but of course Grandad thinks nothing of it, and why should he its the 6 o'clock news FGS hundreds of kids must see news programmes at this time of day and unfair to show graphic images during daytime I think. Its not like my kids are even sitting watching the news but are often playing or drawing in the same room and still hear and see it all.
I am a grown adult and am haunted by images I have seen on news reports, I choose not to read papers showing images but have been caught out by the early evening news.

QueenOfQuotes · 21/09/2005 01:46

ermmm well how about - your kids are in the room, it's nearly 6pm and you've got BBC on - CHANGE THE CHANNEL!

Skribble · 21/09/2005 01:52

Don't you start QofQ, I don't watch the news when kids around but its hard telling relations in their own house to turn TV over, if its really unsuitable I drag them out of the room. But maybe the point is should we have to?

QueenOfQuotes · 21/09/2005 10:22

but then I let my children watch the news anyhow..........

(PS - I was very tired and quite drunk last night LOL).

WigWamBam · 21/09/2005 10:34

The only channel my dd ever sees is CBeebies. It means I don't get to watch the news (or anything else) but I use Ceefax and read it. The news, like it or not, is always going to contain things I don't want dd to hear about or see yet, and the same can be said for a lot of other daytime programmes too.

It's far easier for a parent to control what their child has access to, than it is for the news programmes to control what's going to be in the news that day.

beetle73 · 21/09/2005 11:22

Well, I'm not really in this situation yet, because DD is young. However the TV is often on in our house, and is often on BBC World, which I don't expect to change because DP is a news junkie.

I will certainly try to be aware of the images she sees, in order to discuss them with her, but I just don't understand how it would be possible or even desirable to keep a child from seeing, for example, images of the Twin Towers or New Orleans. I'd much rather she sees these things at home and is able to talk about them with us or her grandparents, than go into school and hear a distorted horror version. If something she sees on the news gives her a nightmare, well that's awful, but Little Red Riding Hood might have just the same effect. Without wanting to turn her into a little adult, I think I'd be much more concerned if all she ever watched was children's TV.

As far as I remember, I was not shielded from the news as a child, but I didn't develop a fear of Harrods or the Grand Hotel based on IRA activity. (Perhaps I lack imagination!)

I don't think this is very coherent, and as I say, my feelings may change when they're put to the test, but as things stand, they'll be no censorship in our house.

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