Saturday 19 May 2012

Ignorance in the media - again!

I found the below comment from a mom who was flipping through the Toronto Star yesterday and to her horror came across more thoughtless print.  Here is what she wrote:

In the Entertainment section of today's newspaper (The Toronto Star) an editor was reviewing the movie "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" They gave it a very poor rating but what insulted me the most was the headline they used. "PREGNANCY COMEDY BASED ON SELF-HELP BOOK IS STILLBORN"
She immediately wrote the paper with her concern & complaint & it has since been changed in their online version of the paper.  First, an acknowledgement of her spirit to take action, I know there was a time when I would have been so stunned that I wouldn't have had the courage to do the same.  Second, shame & disappointment with the paper for allowing such a thing to go to print, this means the writer, editor & whatever other screening agents who are paid to scrutinise material before it goes to print, saw & thought no issue with what was about to go to print.  If it had been the Toronto Sun, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised, the Star however, I had a higher expectations.

Mike and I were speaking about it & we agreed that the longer it sat with us and we thought about it, the worse of a blow it felt.  He spoke about media using shock factor to reel in its audience and wondered out loud if this was an unfortunate example of this.  I guess I am more hopeful or naive, hoping that it is the thoughtlessness & ignorance rearing it's ugly head...again.

Either way definitely not something I am prepared to leave unspoken to.  I feel like there have been too many of these recently & so I am committed to do my part & write in and share my disappointment in the quality and lack judgement that the paper chose to exercise here.  I have asked for more info from the above mom to help me direct my concerns - if you are so inclined to share your thoughts with the paper or here in this forum, please feel free.  I would love to hear your feedback & thoughts.

xoxo angel - Mommy misses you.

1 comment:

  1. Awful, really awful. It actually physically hurts me to read what was intended (I'm sure) as some sort of humor - but really just strikes at my heart, and the heart of every parent who has lost their child.

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