After talking about the article in the Alligator about the UF student who committed suicide, it really made me realize that the story should not have been published, at least in the manner that it was. The story originally ran as a completely objective and nameless story, simply providing the details of the student’s death. There were no quotes from close relatives or friends, and there was simply a shock value as a result. If the newspaper perhaps waited for relatives to allow what had happened to settle in and if a personal history and pictures were provided to the newspaper for an emotional feature story, then perhaps the story would have been newsworthy. Also, if the suicide happened in the dorms or if the student was a prominent individual on campus, then the story would have deserved more attention. The issue of right to privacy also comes in to play because someone obviously can not waive his right posthumously.
Covering Suicides January 22, 2008
After talking about the article in the Alligator about the UF student who committed suicide, it really made me realize that the story should not have been published, at least in the manner that it was. The story originally ran as a completely objective and nameless story, simply providing the details of the student’s death. There were no quotes from close relatives or friends, and there was simply a shock value as a result. If the newspaper perhaps waited for relatives to allow what had happened to settle in and if a personal history and pictures were provided to the newspaper for an emotional feature story, then perhaps the story would have been newsworthy. Also, if the suicide happened in the dorms or if the student was a prominent individual on campus, then the story would have deserved more attention. The issue of right to privacy also comes in to play because someone obviously can not waive his right posthumously.