Can I make a bit of a plea to those of you who enjoy posting upsetting stories?

[hunkermunker]

Can you please NOT put the subject of the shocking tale in the title?

Can you just put "An upsetting news story concerning children" or something similar?

Because I'm all for asking MN Towers to have a "Without In The News" button because I hate hate hate hearing about the terrible things that people do to babies and children and I don't want to see thread titles like that.

If that makes me blinkered, etc, then so be it.

Also, why do people feel the need to post links to stuff like this when it's just for people to go "oh how sad" to? I can understand if it's a policy thing, or there's a campaign that needs to be undertaken - but just for people to feel sad? Why?

hear hear from me - the 'virtual' rubbernecking really annoys/ upsets me.

another hear hear here

I understand people posting along the lines of 'I heard [something] on the news and it got me thinking about...' ie conversing about the news.

But to post nothing but 'link' and a sad face, with a shocking title, seems, well, pointless if not actually upsetting.

"Virtual rubber necking"

I knew there was a name for it .

hear hear hunker, avoid them too, would rather not have to read the title

I did a thread a while back saying exactly the same thing hunker (but I can't find it to link)

reading the headline in the paper as you quickly skim past is bad enough

Crikey, I really thought I'd get a pounding for this - although quite who was going to post going "no, I bloody love to read about a good old house fire where everyone dies horribly", I'm not sure!

(Course you started this thread too, OO, course you did. I believe you )

IMO, if you want to share, then post something like "sad news story" as the title. I don't see the point tbh, but I haven't even read the story that we are all referring to but have been upset by it without having any choice in the matter.

Just needs a bit of forethought really . Then we can choose whether or not to read/post.

Have you seen the most recent one?

Why do people want to share that knid of story? I don't get it.

agree,
it is 'Car Crash' mentality on Mumsnet and it upsets me greatly.

Seems some haven't read this!!!

Realised by venting on the other thread I bumped it sorry.

Don't get me started. This is my real MN pet hate. We are all capable of watching/reading/listening to the news ourselves without having some ghoulish person post a link to a particularly tragic story. And what really pisses me off is when the usual suspects post their "hang the bastards" speculative responses without knowing anything about the story. I've seen it backfire a few times and it makes me really angry.

I did start a thread

Totally disagree. The Topic is called "In the News" so if it is in the news and somebody wants to discuss it why shouldn't they? If you don't like the title, you don't have to click on it.

I think I know which story you are talking about, I have not clicked on it because I am not interested in reading about it. I also saw it on the BBC website and ignored it.

aha, but therin lies the point - if they wanted to discuss it, surely they'd do this post something more than 'link' and a sad face?

Thank you, hunkermunker, I so, so agree, this is one thing that makes me consider leaving mnet.

I love the fact that you're all shakinging your heads and muttering 'voyeuristic mentalility' and 'only saying so sad, pointless' and you all do it. Besides if it wasn't for things like this I for one would never have known about the baby rape case or written to my MP and the attorney general and maybe the case would never have been reviewed.

I don't think people put the links up to horrify other people. More than likely it's just conversation as in if you were chatting to another mum in RL and said 'Oh God, did you hear about so&so in the papers yesterday and then go on to explain story.

Just because one does don't want to read about a particular story does not mean others should not be allowed to. This is an open forum after all, not a dictatorship.

There doesn't have to be graphic detail in the thread titles though. It's OK saying we don't have to click on it, but the thread title is there for all to see, we have no way to avoid seeing it, and sometimes they are really distressing.

The point is speedymama, that people should post more sensitive thread titles, rather than "Baby lobbed out of speeding car window on motorway" - it kinda gives the story away without even clicking on "in the news".

yes I hate this too

But if the title is vague and suggests you should not click on it in case you might be upset, then chances are you will click on it out of curiosity and read more than you would have than if the title had been more explicit.

Actually, yes I do agree that putting the story in the thread title is insensitive and rather tabloid.

speedymama - come on now, you are clutching at straws

Some folk, if they want to read the news they will click on the topic. They wont be swayed by salacious headlines or spurious titles.

There is nothing wrong with showing a bit of tact and sensitivity in subtitles for those who dont wish to see or those that have children that read over their shoulder.