We should be effecting change as journalists

AFTER receiving comments from people who were not happy with the picture we ran on our website  pertaining to the man who was knocked on the M4, I got to thinking, ‘If it was a criminal, would the reaction have been the same?’

I decided to use the picture because while it was graphic it did not show the face of the victim. The story tells a man who died when he was hit by a car  on the M4 north near the uMhlanga off ramp this morning at around 7am.

Some of the comments on the story said that it was insensitive of us to use the picture. I disagree, based on the fact that while there was blood visible in the picture and it was clearly that of a dead body, it did not show the victim’s face. Had the face been visible, then we definitively would not have used it. The purpose was also to highlight the dangers of crossing the freeway and it was hoped that if somebody else saw this they would think twice about crossing and rather walk the extra 100 metres to the bridge than risk crossing a busy freeway such as the M4. After receiving three comments on the story from people who thought the picture was distasteful we decided to embed the picture in the story and warn readers that the picture was graphic.

We also posted a Youtube video of dog fighting that highlights this vicious undertaking after a La Lucia animal lover told us of a Boerboel cross who was rescued from horrific conditions and that was probably destined for dog fighting. Here too, we hope to raise the plight of these animals who the National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), are at the receiving end of the lax laws pertaining the the prosecution of dog fighting ring leaders.