Posted on 05/02/2008 7:39:28 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
What legitimate journalistic purpose did this serve?
In a segment narrated by Pete Williams on the apparent suicide of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called DC Madam, this morning's Today played the tape of the 911 phone call made by Pelfrey's 76-year old mother, who had discovered her daughter's body.
Of all the 911 calls I've heard, this was the most anguished and heart-rending.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
Shame on Today ping to Today show list.
Suicide or Arkancide? Was Bill on her list? that woulda been it for HilLIARy
Ch 7 in Boston (NBC affiliate) did the same thing last night on its 11 pm newscast— “and now, just in to The News
Station, we have the 911 call made by...”
Vultures
Free market. That’s what draws viewers.
I hope she has 20 copies of her black book with 20 different people who will have the good sense to make them public before they’re on the hit list too.
They don’t fool around in D.C. Quite a few women have found that out already. I’m surprised Kathleen Wiley and Monica are still alive but they went public. Chandra Levy and the gal who was killed in Starbucks wasn’t so lucky.
Tales from the Marlyn Monroe ‘’suicide’’. I wonder who name was in the little black book.
I live in the same county. Every local news station has been playing the tape since last night. Not that it makes it right, but just to say that Today isn’t the only one, even the paper links to the audio tape of the 911 call.
Prayer to the mother and all involved. Sad and disturbing and my heart goes out to the mother. Poor woman.
I hate this type of journalism. Nothing good can be uttered about this slimmey crappy filthy vile method of reporting
Trolling for ratings points by trotting out someone’s pain and misery before the world. Pornography is a very dirty business, but I am not sure it is any dirtier than going through people’s dirty laundry in public. Both appeal to voyeurs albeit different kinds of voyeurism.
I’ve thought for a long time that 911 calls should be heard by the public only if individuals go to the police station and listen in person.
That way the information is open to public scrutiny but the families can retain some privacy. The way we do it now is cruel.
I suppose there could be situations in which a journalistic purpose could be served by publicly airing a 911 tape: for example, if there is a legitimate reason to suspect that the person making the call was actually involved in the crime.
But certainly not here. It would be difficult to describe just how heart-rending the call was. And for what purpose?
I think that's debateable. Look at Katie Couric -- she is who she is, and the network put her in her current time slot. Has it drawn viewers? Look at MSNBC, the NYT, or the Boston Globe -- they spout leftwing trash all the time -- does it draw viewers? No? Well, are these media outlets switching gears and trying something new? No? Huh. Don't they want to draw viewers???
And look at Hollywood -- Mel Gibson makes a movie about Christ -- makes about a billion dollars. How does Hollywood respond? They make movies about homosexual cowboys, or movies about the innumberable atrocities carried out by the US military in Iraq. Do those flicks make a billion dollars? No? Well, is Hollywood going to change??
I maintain that the news media does not exist. The thing we call the news media is just a branch of the entertainment industry. And the entertainment industry is driven by a political agenda far more than any urge to entertain or to make money.
In short: I don't think this has much to do with the free market.
I’m sure they would do the same if it was one of their own. /s
Both are institutions of the state. The press is recognized in the Constitution. Entertainment morphed from some older institutions of religious nature.
Double shame on Today’s viewers for continuing to support them after this.
I heard it on WTOP on my way into work. The fact that the woman killed herself is news - the anguished call from her mother is NOT. What is WRONG with those people?
I feel very sorry for the mother. She spent years raising her daughter and it only led to drugs, prostitution, and suicide.
Given the high profile of her case and the blackmail-level secrets she would have had, that “suicide” has to be marked with a permanent question mark. Especially since she is the second suicide in that operation since its exposure.
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