Est.2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

Nation Newspaper Picks Sensationalism Over Sensitivity

← Back

Your message to the BLOGMASTER was sent

CONTACT THE BLOGMASTER ONLY

Submitted by Priscilla Beckley (sent as a letter to the Editor of Nation newspaper)

letter to editorGreetings,

As an American citizen living in a country not quite my own, I realize that my comments may be unwelcome to some…  However, I hope that an “outside” perspective will be valued by those who love this country and would hold its media to a higher standard.   I am compelled to comment on today’s edition of the Nation.

Upon opening my mailbox & unfolding the morning paper, I was saddened on several levels.   Is it really necessary to print a full-sized photograph (warning) of this poor, dead accident victim – still pinned under a concrete pillar — on Page 1?   My sympathies go to his family for their loss, as well as for the further insult of their loved one’s death exploited in such a manner.

Moral issues aside, is a single, unfortunate construction incident even front-page news?   Gruesome photographs appeal to basest human curiosity, and thus sell more newspapers;  However, this family and the people of Barbados would be better served by dedicating the front page to news items relevant to the majority.

Pay respects to the deceased as is proper.  Report details of the accident as is prudent.  However, in the absence of major national or world news, in between calamities and catastrophies, why not engender optimism in the people of Barbados?   Beneath the headline “Cruise Wave,” a color photo of the ship against a backdrop of shining turquoise water would have been not only more apropos, but also a brighter start to everyone’s Friday!

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

29 responses to “Nation Newspaper Picks Sensationalism Over Sensitivity”

  1. Tony Hall Avatar
    Tony Hall

    Priscilla,
    I am a Bajan living in New York and the first thing I do when I arrive at work each morning is to open the Nation and Advocate. I too was shocked that the Editor would have allowed that photo to be placed in the paper. The Nation hasn’t obviously learned from its past indiscretions or it doesn’t care. How insensitive!!!

  2. Sundowner Avatar
    Sundowner

    Unfortunately they do seem to like pictures of dead people here, and to make a crisis out of a drama.
    I heard recently of a father that refused the Nation entrance to his house after a murder had taken place in, GOOD! how insensitive can you get! someone murdered and a reporter trying to muscle in and take photo’s? please! have some sensitivity for the bereaved

  3. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Tony Hall,
    Man, I too luffs you.Doan tell Scout doe.
    I agree with you a million times. These papers love to sensationalise everything. Both papers are guilty of it.I think that journalist on the whole just love to sensationalize. Make me sick. I remember a few years ago a fella had his hand severed at the wrist down by the Post office and the next day when I saw the paper, I didn’t expect it to be so blatant and I had the ‘shakes’ because I was holding the paper right by the part that had the severed hand . I almost fainted, no lie. I called the Nation and cursed them stink as c*^t. They made some frivilous excuse to camouflage their incompetence. Sickening bitches all a dem. CBC guilty as shite too. Think ’bout what effect it would have on de victim’s family, good Christ man.
    Ya likes me?

  4. Hopi Avatar
    Hopi

    Priscilla Beckley…. the only reason the Rag continues this type of sensationjalism is because people like you support it, so stop crying. Instead of sending mere sympathies to the families for their loss, why not go and see if there is any tangible support that you can offer them. Maybe this is your calling. Stop cursing the darkness and light a candle.

    Peace my dear.

  5. BWWR Avatar
    BWWR

    Do like me, Priscilla dear. Boycott the Nation, the Advocate and VOB. As soon as they start to hurt in the pocket, they will probably realize that we all expect much better than what they are serving up. If they don’t and they go under, no loss at all.

  6. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    The Nation newspaper, in our view, has NOT been sensationalist in regard of the picture seen on the front page of the Weekend Nation, Friday, 14 November 2008. As a matter of fact, there is nothing sensationalist about the picture, as that there was/is no distortion, misrepresentation or enhancement of the truth that was the scene at the worksite on that given day.

    To show that the Nation was NOT senstionalist is in the gist of the picture itself which shows the Bobcat tractor simply about to lift what amounts to be part of the column off of the deceased. To also show that the Nation was NOT sensationalist is vis-a-vis its having sense of purpose to report some of what the Minister of Public Works had to say about the tragedy, having the sense of humanity to report how a group of ten men sought to save the life of the Adrian, and in covering pictorally and otherwise having the empathy to report on the sombre mood of Minister Boyce, and the grieving element of some others. As a matter of fact, we think that the Nation Newspaper was – in covering the incident – very sympathetic to the deceased and his family and friends.

    However, where the newspaper must have gone wrong was in its insensitivity toward the family and friends of the accident victim in placing the picture on the front page, without any apparent concern for what the family or friends of the deceased might have thought about their placing it there on the front page, esp. given an objective view of the kind of inherent prominence and attention the front pages of the Nation newspapers have long had. Somewhere on the inside would have been professionally better, we think.

    Too, the Weekend Nation must have been a little insensitive to those readers whose sensibilities – whether or not they agreed with the picture itself – would have been possibly offended by the manner in which that picture was prioritized over other pictures or stories, in regard of the use of that front page allotment, or offended by the manner in which the picture was improperly juxtaposed with other topics or subjects on the said front page. The picture would certainly have had better coherence on the inside along with the story on page 4.

    Finally, it would be better than simply criticizing the Nation Newspaper for its reportage if many of these persons criticizing the Nation and if many other people of Barbados comment seriously about the lack of proper building standards and occupational safety and health standards in the country, and do as much as possible to ensure that the best of these standards are achieved and maintained in the interests of the owners, renters, occupiers, workers who happen to be these spaces. Clearly, the newpaper draws to the attention of the readers the deficiencies in the construction of that column!!

    On those notes, we duly extend our sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased.

    PDC

  7. PiedPiper Avatar
    PiedPiper

    Miss Peppa, I too remember that front page with the machete off hand…. schuuuupse. If the families of deceased and disrespected individuals were in a postion to sue The Nation, they would soon have to clean up their act.

  8. General Lee Avatar
    General Lee

    @PDC

    “occupational safety and health standards in the country”

    For workers at the bottom, this is too often neglected or ignored by their superiors. These workers frequently endanger their health and sometimes risk their lives in order to earn a dollar.

    Workers should refuse to carry out duties asssinged them, if the proper tools and equipment are not provided, if the task assigned is above their level of competence and so puts them or others in danger if it is attempted.

    The job must be done, yes, but Supervisors and Managers should have more concern for their workers well-being.

    I agree that the Nation Newspaper was insensitive, as they usually are, but not sensational.

  9. Technician Avatar
    Technician

    What a laugh so early in the morning……Tony Hall et al , talking about how the Nation is …..BUT….cant wait to open it every morning.
    You mean to tell us that even though you know what they are about, you still read one every morning?
    If the Nation is so bad , they why are you so addicted to it?
    RLMAO!!

    Like Hopi said ….why continue to support it ?

  10. Technician Avatar
    Technician

    When the American press and News media had the pics of Saddam with his neck popped all over the airwaves….I guess that was not sensationalism either.

  11. JC Avatar
    JC

    BWWR // November 15, 2008 at 6:11 am

    Do like me, Priscilla dear. Boycott the Nation, the Advocate and VOB. As soon as they start to hurt in the pocket, they will probably realize that we all expect much better than what they are serving up. If they don’t and they go under, no loss at all.
    ———————————————–

    Thats what I do! I boycott there asses especially VOB after Viaoma ali’s issue!

  12. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    I too was quite shocked at that front page picture, in fact on both pictures. Some time ago, I spoke to a senior person at the Nation about that type of reporting and the negativity that they lanquish in, he said, that’s what sells the paper. Therefore, I suggest that we boycott such editions and if it continues boycott the entire paper for a week. By then, they would get the message, if not a entire boycott would be enforced.

  13. Politically Incorrect Avatar
    Politically Incorrect

    Not only is the Nation Newspaper insensitive it often publishes reports that are totally untrue,slanderous and libellous — I was the victim of one of them.

    Like some of the other contributors have said………just don’t support them.

  14. J Avatar
    J

    I think that it was the Advocate (not the Nation) that published the picture of the amputated hand some years ago.

  15. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    J

    Morning. It was de Nation cause I doan evva buy de Advocate. Too drab and boring.

  16. Han Solo Avatar
    Han Solo

    J ,it was in de Nation.I remember it like it was yesterday. After getting it chopped off,the man run behind the attacker all the way down to Chapman Lane area,where he collapsed afterwards. By the way,the hand couldnt be reattached.

  17. J Avatar
    J

    I really can’t argue ’cause I don’t have the newspaper in front of me. But one of these days I’ll pass by both newspapers and try to find out the truth. So we have to call a truce today.

  18. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    Some time ago both of the print media use to pay freelance reporters and journalist for their published work. I think if they start this again, they would improve their papers but it might also embarrass, their permanent reporters/journalists.

  19. kelly star Avatar
    kelly star

    how the rasshole you could say nation is sensationalist, when barbados free press run that russian girl name through the mud with that stinking headline?

  20. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Kelly star,

    I lost. Wah Russian girl you talking ’bout?

    Mornin all.
    Ya likes ma?

  21. Tony Hall Avatar
    Tony Hall

    I just could not understand what BFP was doing. That blog was running a story without having obtained any facts and then was trying to infer that because the family is Russian there might be a “Russian Mob Connection”. How insensitive!!!!

  22. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    TonyHall,
    Ya got me lost too.
    What Russian girl?

    Lost!!!!!!!!!

  23. Tony Hall Avatar
    Tony Hall

    Bonny Peppa,
    This is the article. An article with not a shred of evidence to substantiate.

    The horrific death of 16-year old Russian-American Anna Druzhinina at Palmers Plantation House in St. John has people wondering what the real story is. The Royal Barbados Police Force has a person in custody but at the time of this writing no charges have been laid.

    Any time a person with a Russian background is involved as a victim or perpetrator in Barbados thoughts of the Russian mob are bound to be on people’s minds. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s dirty Russian money flooded the world’s offshore banking centers as criminal organisations profited during the chaos that followed the breakup of the USSR. Barbados saw its fair share of the suspicious Russian transactions and nouveau riche during that time, but of late we have seen fewer of the heavy-set, quiet Russian men (always wearing dark glasses even at night) on the island.

    One of our Deputy Prime Ministers was known to have many strange Russian friends and took an unusual number of trips to Europe during their time in power. Even now the Russian and Eastern European crime syndicates have their footholds in Caribbean prostitution.

    Keltruth Blog has some thoughts on the recent murder of Anna Druzhinina, and one truth comes through: if the circumstances of the murder are anything but crystal clear in the public mind, Bajans will start to think about those rough men with Russian accents and dark glasses who were so new to our island fifteen years ago.

  24. Technician Avatar
    Technician

    BFP does anything to get hits to their blog , so that Cliverton et al can brag and boast of being the #1 blog for the day.
    They have no problems with headlines like these but talk about slavery, 9-11 or Muslims and we all know what the response would be.
    The biggest alcoholic, hypocritical bunch of Christians to be found on the Internet.

  25. Barnabas Collins Avatar
    Barnabas Collins

    I thought publishing that picture was the height of insensitivity. But it is the Nation, what do you expect?

  26. Jinx Avatar
    Jinx

    Hummm,
    Someone set fire to a dog last year and a photograph of the burned dog was sent to the Nation newspaper shortly before it was euthanised at the content Amimal Clininc in St.Thomas.
    The story and photo was never published the reason being “public sensitivity”.

  27. J Avatar
    J

    Dear Technician:

    You wrote “he biggest alcoholic, hypocritical bunch of Christians to be found on the Internet.”

    What made you think that Cliverton and the rest at BU are Christians?

    I never got the impression from anything Clivey and the rest have written here on BU that led me to believe that they were Christians.

  28. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Tony Hall,
    Thanks for enlightening me. Didn’t know that she was Russian. At first when I heard the surname, I thought that she was Guyanese.
    It is indeed sad anyway. Such a baby to die such a horrific death.

  29. Technician Avatar
    Technician

    @ J….

    Then you must be new to the blogs .

    Cliverton and his gang are over at BFP.

    David is here at BU…..much better place.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

Trending

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading