When the media should be liable or criminally charged

[Texas Star]

Some of you have probably followed the news from the Dallas Safari Club auctioning off a license to hunt a black rhino. The hunt is approved by the govt. of Namibia and the animal scheduled to be shot is old and past reproduction AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE CULLED, ANYWAY.
The man winning the chance to shoot the rhino paid $350,000, all of which goes to Nanibia for game conservation.

The plot thickens: Animal rights persons have made death threats over the issue. The media knows this; they reported it.

But tonight, Channel 5, the Dallas-Ft. Worth NBC affliate, announced the name of the man who they believe won the auction. They seem to have seen it in a UK publication.

Now, knowing of the death threats, was it wise of them to announce the name of the hunter? They'll probabaly claim that it was public knowledge after the UK article, but gee whiz! What if some animal protectionist does kill or attempt to kill the hunter?

Should the TV people be charged with anything? Might the man's family have a case against NBC for releasing the name after generating so much controvesy over the matter?

I'd like to see the media controlled in such matters where releasing a name might be reasonably determined to have contributed to a poential murderer learning the name of his victim.

 

[perrazi]

did you say media should be culled? i would go for that. media never lets the facts ruin a sensational story, especially when it is gun related.

 

[LVSteve]

Bag limit?

 

[tops]

Bag limit?

I would ask what kind of bag but you would probably say a big bag. Larry

 

[Texas Star]

Bag limit?

Steve, the bidding was for precisely one rhino that was already designated for culling. It is past reproductive age and may be from a populatipn that is growing too large for availabe land in that particular place.


As you may know, J.A. Hunter was contracted by the Kenya govt. in colonial days to kill off many rhinos to open up land for settlement of native tribes. His account is in either, "Hunter" or, "Hunter's Tracks." It was pretty dangerous work, given the terrain.

This cull looked on TV like they had the rhino in a pen, but that may be deceptive. It could have been a photo of a different rhino in a zoo. But it inferred a "canned" hunt.

When this channel commented on the proposed allowing of pocket knives on planes again last yeat (they opposed it), one of their reporters held up a Swiss Army knife LARGER than those being considered. It was probably meant to inflame public opinion and frighten viewers.

 

[jimmib]

what do you expect from a bunch of jackels that would rip anybody to shreds for a piece of information that they can build all their lies around...they print and say anything they want and retract later...I haven't had any use for the media since Nam and it has gotten progressively worse by the year...I don't even listen to the weather anymore as the have to sensationalize that to...thanks for the rant

 

[finesse_r]

I really don't want to see controls put on the media. Unfortunately, the media no longer demonstrates common sense or responsible reporting. It has to do with the people that own, edit, and report the news and there is nothing that we can do about it other than just stop reading their sorry reporting.

To some extent the lack of decency in reporting reflects a growing lack of decency and morals in the population.

 

[Bkreutz]

I'm more concerned about the animal rights people who would threaten to kill the hunter if he kills an animal.

 

[NCTexan]

Pay big money to go shoot a targeted rhino? Huh?

Maybe I'm weird or missing something.

 

[finesse_r]

Pay big money to go shoot a targeted rhino? Huh?

Maybe I'm weird or missing something.

I agree. I would not care to do it if they paid me.

 

[Rastoff]

The media does stuff like this in the hopes that someone will attempt to carry out the death threat. That would be news and then give them something more to report.

The modern new machine is more about creating news than reporting it. It's all about ratings.

As a perfect example of that I saw an inflammatory headline today. It said, "See cops shoot guy holding hostage." They could have said it any number of ways, but they are playing on the fact that people today want to see blood and gore.

 

[Harleystoo]

I really don't want to see controls put on the media.

Free press (lack of control) is one thing, but liability is another. I have the freedom to own and carry a pistol, but I can't shoot all the people I want without consequences.
The media should be held accountable for what they print. But as many before have stated, their lack of morals are reflected in our culture of selfishness.

 

[sipowicz]

The hunt is approved by the govt. of Namibia and the animal scheduled to be shot is old and past reproduction AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE CULLED, ANYWAY.

I guess that would make him a Rhinoceros in name only.....and if the guy misses, that would make him a HINO (hunter in name only)

 

[rwsmith]

Two choices

1) Let a Namibian game ranger shoot the rhino.

2) Let someone willing to pay big bucks that will go to conservation shoot it.

I don't even have to get my brain warmed up to make that choice. I don't want to shoot it, but I'm not a hunter. If a hunter wants to shoot it, let him.

 

[GaryS]

Putting restrictions on the press is not a door we want to open. Once you put a restriction on freedom of the press, you open the door to restriction on public assembly, freedom of (or from) religion.

Since the name was published in a UK publication, that meant that it was in the public domain. All the US based publication did was repeat it.

Of course I think that the hunter should be allowed to reserve space on his trophy wall for the heads of any so called animal rights activists who might want to attack him.

 

[brucev]

Re: Restricting the press. In a word, No. No need to elaborate. Examples are abundant of the good, the bad and the really ugly consequences that follow restriction of the press.

 

[LVSteve]

Steve, the bidding was for precisely one rhino that was already designated for culling. It is past reproductive age and may be from a populatipn that is growing too large for availabe land in that particular place.

I was asking about the bag limit for the journalist cull.

 

[jlrhiner]

Whoever bought this, is financially secure, probably already a big game hunter, and has had the balls to face down dangerous game.

Do these idiots really want to threaten him?

 

[Onomea]

Here is an essay about why this auction is good for the conservation of rhinos: http://nyti.ms/1aDxKt7

 

[Texas Star]

Another channel has since interviewed the hunter and he said that he has security. He is taking the threats seriously.

It emerged that the target rhino has been condemned in part because it is especially aggressive and has been attacking other rhinos. But Channel 5 has continued to omit that data, and persists in showing caged rhinos, perpetuating an impression that the hunt is an execution, not a "fair chase" pursuit.

This sort of "reporting" makes comedy of the term "journalistic ethics and standards."