Hypocrites

There was a terrible road smash near Batemans Bay a few days ago.  A petrol tanker ran out of control and crashed into some cars, then burst into flames.  2 young girls in one of the cars, and the truck driver were killed.  Others were injured, including the parents of the dead girls who are now in a critical condition in hospital.  Terrible tragedy, no doubt about it.

However, what takes the cake for me is the Daily Telegraph (a tabloid newspaper in Sydney) concentrating much of their reporting on the abhorrent behaviour of people who witnessed this crash filming it on their mobile phones rather than trying to help save the girls who died.   According to one of the witnesses who did try to help the victims:

"There were a lot of people coming with towels, there were a lot of people coming with water and then there was the younger generation with their mobile phones."

Yes I think that standing around filming such a tragedy is ghoulish and unacceptable behaviour by those who did it – shame on them!  But the hypocrisy of the media, and particularly a trashy tabloid like the Telegraph banging on about how terrible they were (and especially that it was the younger people – get in a bit of generation X/Y (whatever it is?) bashing at every opportunity) is astounding.  I’d guarantee that if one of these people who filmed the crash called them and offered the footage for a price, it would be all over their website within minutes – and on the TV news also.  These are the same people who actively encourage members of the public to send in pictures, videos and tips about news stories – some of them just about offer prizes for good stuff – and then they act all shocked when people actually do it.   Get off your high horse!