Some people think that media should not report detail of crimes to the public. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Nowadays, we are surrounded by a variety of media like the Internet, newspaper, and TV, which are very informative, connecting us to the whole world. It is a highly debatable issue whether the media should report the smallest details of the crime to the masses or not. I feel that the media should be very judicious in selecting what to report and how much to report. So, I agree with the statement. In this essay, I intend to support my views with my arguments.
As I see it, the news outlets should pay more attention to the affairs themselves, rather than the details of the crimes. To start with, the details of crimes make a misleading statement to the children and adolescents who are curious about the process of committing crimes and are likely to copy the criminal actions blindly. Moreover, excessive violence and pornographic content can also raise the adults’ criminal tendencies. In the other words, detailed crime news can generate individuals’ potential desire to commit a crime, thus induce many social problems.
Moreover, the detailed report of a crime does not show enough respect to the victims and their families. For example, if any murder or robbery has taken place in someone’s house then if it is shown in detail on TV, the whole privacy of those people is lost. Another very strong argument in favor of censorship of media is that sometimes this detailed description can help the criminals also. For instance, when terrorists attacked Hotel Taj in Mumbai, the media reported details of the commandos’ position on TV. This was also viewed by the terrorists hiding in the hotel. They changed their positions accordingly.
However, the opponents claim that we have a right to know every detail and so the media should report every detail. I still feel that it would lead to more problems. I think the media has an obligation to show the right direction to the public. It should report news in a balanced manner rather than high-lighting the details of the crime.
To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that although it is the duty of the media to keep us informed, the details of crime should not be shown.