Why was this child questioned on TV?

[anotheoldgit]

We have all witnessed how children are protected when it comes to giving evidence etc.in a court of law, by means of video links etc, and quite rightly to.

With this in mind it astonished me to say the least, when on a recent TV news report, to see a news reporter interviewing a young lad of approx.10years.

This was in relationship to the recent mass shootings carried out in Cumbria. The lad was asked by the reporter if he had any nightmares over the shooting, and what other effects had it on him. All this took place on a one to one basis, with no other adult present.

Surely this young person had been through a once in a lifetime harrowing experience, and this child needed controlled counselling by professionals in this field, not cross questioning by a news hound, trying to extract as many macabre details of the event as he could, for then to be relayed to millions of TV viewers.

[ummmm]

Was this the child that 'caught' the killers eye???

[dothawkes31]

My friend in Seascale has explained how intrusive and ruthless the press have been this last week. People there are closing their doors on the outside world, the village was cut off for quite some time and they felt even more isolated than when they get snowed in.

[VHG]

Unfortunately the press media are like vultures, they decend wherever a disaster has happened.

You can imagine the cheers that went up in newsrooms when the news of this awful carnage was first announced.

The BBC, ITV, Sky etc probably had hotels booked and people on the way to the Lake Distrcit within minutes of news of this event coming out.

I remember the Gordon Brown "bigotgate" event during the election. The press decended on the poor woman's house and she could not even go out and buy a pint of milk.

Vultures.

[redcrx]

i didnt see the interview, but surely there would have been an adult with the child, even if off camera. The new team would have to have got permission to do the interview from a parent or guardian.

not that that answers the question as to why a parent would put their child up to be questioned like that

[bookbinder]

Some "responsible" adult must surely have give the OK for the child to be interviewed.

[jno]

I certainly hope redcrx and bookbinder are right. I doubt I'd have given permission for a child of mine to be interviewed on a subject like this, though.

[Geegee2]

I totally agree. But surely his parents must have allowed this to happen

[OrcadianOil]

"astonished" ??? Don't you realise that the media in this country is a law unto itself? I also saw it and totally agree it was wrong - but, hey, does Sky News care? It got an "exclusive", didn't it???

[Zeuhl]

Didn't see this but essentially there are no rules, just self regulation.

However, generally accepted ethical standards feature:

///Protecting child victims from further trauma should take precedence over getting a good quote///

and:

///Seek permission from a parent or guardian before interviewing or photographing a child///

Interviewing such a young child on such a tricky subject makes me feel very uncomfortable.

.

[stoofur]

I did see it. It was a bit uncomfortable to watch. But it did demonstrate the impact this killer had.

They did say at the begining of the report that they did get permission of the mother.

[marval]

I wouldn't want a child of mine to be questioned like that. He had surely been through enough, the mother should have said no.

[jno]

it's possible the mother thought that talking about it would help the child deal with it; it would depend on the child.

[Nosha123]

permission of the Mother...

WHy on earth would you??
Proud to get your little lad on the tele??

How awful for the wee lad!!

And the press!! well! what can one say???

[Awkward]

It won't do him any harm. He's probably been bragging to all his mates about it on FB.

[AlBags]

The worst, surely are SKY News vultures ... even dressed in suits outside the ruddy hospital gates.
Bistards.

[Awkward]

...should they have worn green suits and rubber gloves?

[Ric.ror]

I work in Bradford and know for a fact the press have behaved like complete b*****ds when it comes to the recent murders that have taken place here

[Garmard]

I saw that interview and i was disgusted by it, poor lad had been through hell!