The hypocrisy of the British press over 2DayFM

acotrel says:

05:37am | 02/01/13

Surely there needs to be only one performance based law which should apply to the media and everybody else ? It could be about recognising our duty of care which is to manage risk appropriately in all scenarios. This latest debacle has a touch of gross negligence about it.

Carrie says:

06:07am | 02/01/13

Why has this turned into an exercise of one country’s media having a whine at how another country’s media handled this appalling situation. It has nothing to do with fleet street. What those two did was wrong. Ethically, morally, objectively wrong. Don’t try to change this into bitchy snarkiness between you and the UK press. No one outside the press industry cares about your little fights. Focus on the story, the real story, instead of creating a sideshow. If you can’t do that, how about saying nothing.

AdamC says:

08:39am | 02/01/13

The 2DayFM prank was poorly conceived from the start, but got way out of hand. Clearly, the silly DJs expected to be summarily hung up on with their ludicrous, affected accents. However, hopefully, this affair will lead to some cultural changes in Australian FM radio and the tightening up of codes of conduct. The prank call should never have been put to air without the consent of the nurses and their employer.

A similar thing could be said about the culture of the British press and the hacking scandal, which seems to have led to some changes in approach. (Though I am concerned those changes go far too far in controlling the news media.)

Lastly, I do not really buy that radio is this big, important medium. Radio is what people listen to when they are doing something else, like driving or cleaning the house.

Gerry W says:

09:22am | 02/01/13

Belittling people is just plain bullying and making people feel small and worthless like they did to this poor woman.

Bho Ghan-Pryde says:

01:07pm | 02/01/13

Well, I told you so when this happened - the nurse had a history of problems and previous suicide attempts and the British press ran this thing because the prankers are Australian. As for “People need to trust radio” - Why? Who actually listens to radio and cares what they hear? Maybe 1% of the population and an aging, shrinking 1% at that.

NikRaf of Victoria says:

01:13pm | 02/01/13

points at “Channel 4 and the sick show they call comedy: Comedians guzzle wine and egg each other on to trade obscene jokes about the Queen, Philip and Susan Boyle”

and you have the hypocrisy to have a go at Australia

the British only have outrage and condemnation if Australian’s do it ,not when there own do it

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255507/Channel-4-sick-comedy-Comedians-Jack-Whitehall-James-Corden-guzzle-wine-egg-trade-obscene-jokes-Queen-Philip-Susan-Boyle.html?offset=1500&max=100#comment-23821382

Bluebell Possum says:

01:18pm | 02/01/13

OK, so the prank was a bit silly.  But clearly no one in their right mind would have thought that the DJ’s, with their terrible, hilarious accents, were the real deal. Somehow - goodness knows how -  they got through. Prince Charles joked about it. No one was hurt. I feel for the nurse’s family but she clearly had a history of depression and previous suicide attempts prior to committing suicide this time round. The radio DJ’s have already gone through enough turmoil and the whole issue needs to be laid to rest by the media and the public. Leave the DJ’s alone, and let the nurse’s family grieve in peace.

Redd Neck says:

01:55pm | 02/01/13

‘People should trust radio ‘!!  What—trust OAFS like Jones in Sydney—ho ho ?

PW says:

02:25pm | 02/01/13

You know what’s interesting about this- this issue had 500+ comments on multiple threads a few weeks ago and now has 18 as I type. Talk about flogging a dead horse.

My prediction is that the unfortunate blonde bombshell drowning in a swimming pool at Kuta Beach on NYE will be the white hot topic of the coming week.

On this article’s topic, of course the Pommy Press are peddling a breathtaking brand of hypocrisy. You wouldn’t for a minute expect anything less.

Ray says:

03:47pm | 02/01/13

Our ‘holier than thou’ ABC is just as hypocritical, as it has persistently been blasting the FM station concerned   for the tragic happenings.

The 2DayFM DJs’  prank was typical of the pranks that the ABC Chasers team used to get up to.

stephen says:

04:59pm | 02/01/13

And the crack Scotland Yard are right on to it, too.
There’s a team of them, right as we speak, trowlling through the archives of the British Library, just to see if the horrible couple of DJs’ have said anything else that has causes death or injury.
Never mind that for 20 years the BBC had looked the other way whilst a paedophile got his way - and probably a network of them had, too - and every member of the Royal Family had shaken his hand, the PM of the day had written a letter of congratulations, the public had said their tearful goodbuys at his funeral, and the trumpets did a fanfare at the coffin’s parade.

The Brits made bloody fools of themselves ; maybe, just maybe, they can take it out on us, and knash their teeth at a self-abnegation revenge.