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I always struggle with news interviews that go along the lines of “So you’re entire family’s been killed. How do you feel?”. I realise it’s easy to lose the im

I always struggle with news interviews that go along the lines of “So you’re entire family’s been killed. How do you feel?”. I realise it’s easy to lose the impact on people’s lives behind a few words in a headline, and maybe I’m just too much of a cynic. Pleasingly (to me) this article’s focus on feelings has some real meaning: namely the widespread panic that was caused by the false alarm. (Like other folks in the previous HN thread I hope constructive lessons can be learned at all levels from this)

maxerickson 9y ago
I don't struggle with those interviews at all, they are outrageous and shameful. There's an argument to be made about conveying the scope of a tragedy to the public but it's also pretty clear that cameras are being shoved in people's faces.
- tomalpha 9y ago
  > I don't struggle with those interviews at all, they are outrageous and shameful. Sorry, I was being unclear in the context of an international audience: "I struggle with" translates from my-version-of-UK-English to my-US-coworker's-English as more or less exactly this :-) (I'm told my tendency to say "sorry" continuously also gently mistranslates like this too...)
- pmoriarty 9y ago
  I feel exactly the opposite. It's critical that the real impact of death and destruction be effectively conveyed in the media. All too often it's trivialized, sugar-coated, or made to seem like a video game. People need to realize how devastating such violence is, instead of viewing it as a game or a joke, if there is to be any hope of reducing its incidence.
  - maxerickson 9y ago
    I mentioned that I understand that in the second paragraph and expressed that I don't think they do a good job of it. Much of the media treats victims of tragedies like shit. All the time. It's a race to who knows where.
jstanley 9y ago
> I always struggle with news interviews that go along the lines of “So you’re entire family’s been killed. How do you feel?”. I'm the same. It's a shameful effort to manipulate the reader's emotions. The same trick is also used by insurance salesmen and the like.
- anigbrowl 9y ago
  GP post is talking about actually asking this question of people whose families have been wiped out, not rhetorical questions posed in the comfort of an office.

maxerickson 9y ago

I don't struggle with those interviews at all, they are outrageous and shameful. There's an argument to be made about conveying the scope of a tragedy to the public but it's also pretty clear that cameras are being shoved in people's faces.

tomalpha 9y ago
> I don't struggle with those interviews at all, they are outrageous and shameful. Sorry, I was being unclear in the context of an international audience: "I struggle with" translates from my-version-of-UK-English to my-US-coworker's-English as more or less exactly this :-) (I'm told my tendency to say "sorry" continuously also gently mistranslates like this too...)
pmoriarty 9y ago
I feel exactly the opposite. It's critical that the real impact of death and destruction be effectively conveyed in the media. All too often it's trivialized, sugar-coated, or made to seem like a video game. People need to realize how devastating such violence is, instead of viewing it as a game or a joke, if there is to be any hope of reducing its incidence.
- maxerickson 9y ago
  I mentioned that I understand that in the second paragraph and expressed that I don't think they do a good job of it. Much of the media treats victims of tragedies like shit. All the time. It's a race to who knows where.

jstanley 9y ago

> I always struggle with news interviews that go along the lines of “So you’re entire family’s been killed. How do you feel?”. I'm the same. It's a shameful effort to manipulate the reader's emotions. The same trick is also used by insurance salesmen and the like.

anigbrowl 9y ago
GP post is talking about actually asking this question of people whose families have been wiped out, not rhetorical questions posed in the comfort of an office.