Suicide live on Fox News
the broadcaster apologizes to viewers

NEW YORK – US news satellite channel Fox News – one of the most famous all-news TV stations in the world. shows a suicide live and then, overwhelmed by the protests – is forced to apologize to viewers. The channel broadcast a police chase in Phoenix, Arizona, which ended when the driver stopped, got out of the car and shot himself in the head. After a brief advertising break, journalist Shepard Smith (in the photo) apologized to viewers for not having cut the scene: “We really made a mess – he said – and we apologize. This does not belong on television. Personally, I am sorry for what happened. It will not happen again under my supervision “.

The case immediately broke into the network, with comments from surfers, and the video was taken up by various websites. On Twitter a user wrote: “I can’t believe it; I just followed a chase live for an hour and then suddenly I saw him shoot himself in the head. Crazy.” And another Internet user said: ” The only reason the pursuits are transmitted is the hope of seeing an accident. Showing pure violence is not information ”.

There are numerous criticisms from TV analysts. “There is no excuse for taking what happened,” said Al Tompkins, of the Poynter Institute of Florida – whatever the local reason for following the event, this is not valid for the national public. Each time the TV stations apologize, but in the meantime, they enjoy a temporary increase in audience “. The Baltimore Sun television critic, David Zurawik, wrote:” I don’t think there is an explanation for this kind of inability to control “.

(September 29, 2012)