Horrendous insensitivity shown by Zimbabwean press
Statement on Media Images of Sunningdale Fuel Tanker Accident
Tuesday, 14 June 2011.
The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) wishes to advise all of its members, media houses and media stakeholders of the sensitivity of particular stories or photographs concerning the personal grief and shock of members of the public. This is particularly so in the wake of the tragic fuel tanker explosion in the residential surburb of Sunningdale, Harare on the night of Saturday 11 June 2011.
Some of the images that have appeared in the media have led to telephone calls to the VMCZ offices wherein members of the public have stated that some of the pictures are not sensitive to members of the public who may have lost their loved ones in the aforementioned tragic accident.
In terms of Section 14 of the VMCZ Media Code of Conduct (MCC), which states, ‘in cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and approaches made with sympathy and tact’, it is of paramount importance that the media strikes a balance on the sensitivity of immediate news and the grief of affected relatives and friends. It is also the VMCZ’s hope that due care and cognizance of Section 14 of the MCC was taken by the various media houses that carried images of those that tragically perished in the horrendous accident.
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
Thursday, June 16th 2011 at 1:05 pm
I’m grateful someone else took cognisance of this violation, I was absolutely shocked when I saw those images, they were right in the front page on the street where kids going to school could see! It was also not thoughtful of members of the public prone to nervous predispositions. I could not even read the article as the thought of putting my eyes on that image literally turned my stomach. My heart goes out to the grieving families of the deceased who were subject to this act of thoughtlessness, and I hope media houses take more care to consider all these factors in future. I am curious though how they are held accountable.