[BC] We do it because we can, not because it is right

[Bill Croghan]

	What self respecting law enforcement agency would release the 911
Calls?  Certainly these should be shielded from even freedom of information
requests, at least long enough that they were no longer of news value.
Bill


> -----Original Message-----
> From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:broadcast-
> bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Robert Meuser
> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 11:27 AM
> To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [BC] We do it because we can, not because it is right
> 
> Sounds like an whiney politically correct old lady who worries too much.
> If I were ever in such a situation I would take my 15 minutes of  fame
> and cash out.
> 
> R
> 
> 
> 
> Reader wrote:
> 
> > 9-1-1-CALLS AND PRIVACY - REVISITED
> > By
> >
> <http://www.wsmv.com/danmillersnotebook/9571491/detail.html?taf=nash>Dan
> > Miller
> > WSMV.COM
> >
> > A TV station in Cleveland recently ran audio of a horrifying 9-1-1
> > call by a mother, who found her 6-year old daughter had drowned.
> > Obviously, many people heard the woman's tortured call on the
> > station's newscasts.
> > It's an audio tape I never want to hear.... and I can't imagine
> > anybody would. There's more to the story.
> > Because it aired that emergency call, WOIO-TV may lose it's lucrative
> > contract to broadcast Cleveland Browns preseason games. It happens
> > that the mother, whose frantic call on July 9th was played on the
> > station's newscasts, is the sister of Randy Lerner, the owner of the
> > Cleveland Browns. Lerner was so upset at the exploitation of his
> > family that he no longer wants anything to do with the station, and no
> > longer wants his team's preseason games broadcast on WOIO-TV.
> > According to Associated Press, Lerner said, "Our organization is
> > disgusted and shocked and therefore having trouble, just like any
> > disgusted and shocked person would have, in continuing in a
> > collaborative relationship." None of this surprises me.... in fact, I
> > completely understand Lerner's outrage.
> > For me, the exploitation of 9-1-1 calls by broadcasters has long been
> > an uncomfortable and, frankly, embarrassing reality. On two occasions,
> > I have written essays here about this.
> > I'll link you to them a few lines down. Though many of my fellow
> > journalists and news executives strongly disagree with me, I don't
> > believe we should even be allowed routine access to 9-1-1 calls.
> > I consider it a gross, uncomfortable intrusion into the agony and deep
> > personal trauma -- or even the simple excitability -- experienced by
> > people placing emergency calls to 9-1-1. We all like to say we'd show
> > restraint and sensitivity.
> > But too many times, we don't.
> > Whenever there's a dramatic emergency, or crime, or disaster, the
> > first question asked by news producers will be, "are the 9-1-1 tapes
> > available yet?"
> > And if they are.... somebody, somewhere, will use them. Sure, those
> > tapes are technically "public records".... but so are autopsy photos,
> > and gruesome crime and accident scenes, and we don't show those...
> > even when we have permission from judges.
> > And personally, I think hearing the actual voice of someone in utter
> > distress is even more intrusive and disturbing.
> >
> > Here's a point I made in one of my earlier essays.
> >
> > I truly fear that someday someone -- maybe you -- will hesitate, or
> > decide against calling 9-1-1, simply because you know that your voice,
> > filled with terror or emotion, will likely be heard over and over
> > again on television newscasts.
> >
> > After that moment of hesitation.... it might be too late.
> > That would be a tragedy.
> >
> >
> >
> <http://danmiller.typepad.com/dan_millers_notebook/2006/07/a_matter_of_p
> ri.html>A
> > MATTER OF PRIVACY
> >
> >
> >
> <http://danmiller.typepad.com/dan_millers_notebook/2006/07/the_exploitat
> io.html>THE
> > EXPLOITATION OF 9-1-1 CALLS
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Do you have a BDR? http://www.oldradio.com/bdr.htm
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> Do you have a BDR? http://www.oldradio.com/bdr.htm