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Take a ride on the cheap thrills of the media. This is also found on the Calgary Herald Q website.A story in The Calgary Sun the other day sent chills down my spine. The story was intense, thought provoking and gruesome. The ladies in my department were all horrified by what we read. You could just feel it hanging in the air. The fact that the death of Calgary Realtor Susanne Lee was printed in such detail, in my opinion, was something that the editors over that the Sun should have edited out. What is the appropriate amount of detail to put into a news story? Obviously this detail, "He also shaved off her pubic hair before leaving her bound and naked body in his home after taking off with her car" might have been crossing that line. No one, absolutely no one (except the homicide detectives and the judge) needs to the details of someone's rape and death. Susanne Lee was murdered while collecting rent from a tenant for her colleague last January. John Robson received the maximum sentence possible under the Criminal Code; life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. The difference with the news article between the Calgary Herald and The Calgary Sun is that the Sun went into way more graphic detail of Lee's sadistic rape. The Calgary Herald gave the facts but didn't go into too much unwanted detail but still was able to tell the story. Something that I have noticed in the past few years in just how uncensored the news is. Maybe it's because I am actually reading each page of the paper and the online news publications and making sure I watch the 6 o'clock news. Sure, knowing what is going on in the world is a handy conversation starter but when the news delivers more news than is actually wanted- who can turn away? Who is the law on what can and cannot be discussed in a "newsworthy" piece? Unfortunately I believe our world has turned into an uncensored thrill ride where anything is game. Global News showed Harjinder Singh Cheema standing in blood drenched clothes, shot by Calgary Police. Not something necessary on TV. My 20 year old brother said to me, "It's different when you see someone real, shot on TV compared to an actor being shot on a TV show. It's more disturbing- hits you a little harder". For my brother, who used to kill Barbie with his GI Joe's, to say this- you know there is something wrong. Is real journalism about un-censorship? I realize that we have a choice in the matter as to what we do and do not read, but where is the line drawn? Where should the line be drawn? How do we, as writers and readers make sure that the information reported on, is actually what the public should know, and not just something that offers a cheap thrill. Posted by Bella at 1:11 PM# 1 Comments: Maybe. Deal with it. By
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