Absolutely Bananas: Seattle stay-at-home mom blog

The sensationalism of parents gone wrong

Is it just me, or has there been increased activity in the horribly-scary-parents-gone-wrong news stories of late?

(I’d recommend NOT clicking on these links; I am providing them to illustrate my point)

Couple face charges in overdosing death of 6 month old

Dad charged with attempted murder of son

Woman pleads guilty to beheading daughter

Couple allow baby to starve to death

and on and on.

Are these really news-worthy? What is the possible value to the public in reporting these horrifying accounts? Oh, I’m sure the stuff sells. But that’s the argument for the “Alien invades woman’s home” stories that you see in the checkout line. Where’s the line between valid, useful journalism and the blatant sensationalism that you expect from the more low-brow publications?

If you argue that the public trial aspect of these cases makes them news, fine. I still say they have no business getting such a high level of exposure. This is not front page news, and it’s not the kind of thing that deserves story after story. What about the Iraq war? Politics? Poverty in America? In the world? Global warming? How can anyone possibly believe that a single family’s personal horror story is at the same level of public relevance as these major topics?

And where are the stories about the hundreds of thousands of good parents? Isn’t one of the rules of journalism to present an unbiased view, which means reporting all sides of a story? By reporting only the ugliest stories in vastly unequal measure, news sources present a skewed perspective of parents today. Turn to any newspaper and the only possible takeaway is that something has gone terribly wrong; that severe measures are needed to stop the violence of parents against children.

Journalists should spend their time investigating stories that matter; that the public needs to know, rather than taking this shotgun approach to journalism… hear about something, quickly write it up and shoot it up to the wire, and move on to the next topic. Horrifying? Dramatic? The public MUST need to know. If I buy a rag at the supermarket, I expect low-quality reporting. If I buy a newspaper, I expect to see good journalism. And this, in my opinion, is NOT good journalism.

Our “news” sources are stooping to the level of the supermarket tabloids, and I for one don’t like it.

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