There have been some major media flubs out there, but this one may just take the cake. MSNBC and CNN Friday afternoon held a live coverage broadcast of exclusive access they gained to the San Bernardino shooters apartment. Was this legal, as of right now (Friday) no one knows. Twitter exploded with the news that the media channels featured various reporters going through the shooters belongings and holding them up to the camera.
These items included clothing, photos, and even the shooters mother’s expired Driver’s license and social security card. Many people posted the photos of the items to Twitter, but were kind enough to blur out the information. MSNBC and CNN did not in their original broadcast.
So many things are wrong with this entire situation. Let’s go through the many violations, shall we? The San Bernardino shootings is still an active and open investigation, so it is extremely odd that a news corporation was given access to such an intense case. It has been reported that the shooters had ties to ISIS, so that makes it an even bigger deal as it’s now a matter of national security. What is being reported is that the landlord opened the shooters apartment to the media and you can see in the video I’ve attached below provided by the Washington Post that people just rushed inside.
MSNBC reporter Kerry Sanders then took viewers through a live narration of what he was finding in the apartment. Looking through papers left on the bed, clothes in the closet, then holding up legal pieces of identification to the camera. This reporter just committed journalistic suicide in my honest opinion, his behavior was completely unethical. MSNBC and CNN apologized for showing the information, but quickly swept to talking about the FBI investigation and ISIS. They did not properly address the fact that they just put an innocent woman’s home address and social security number out to millions of people. Can you say, vigilante justice waiting to happen?
So many questions need to be asked, and this is in no way trying to take away from the victims. There has to be empathy for the other side, the shooters had families as well. These shootings happen time and time again families on both sides are destroyed, the media has a responsibility to treat these people equally. Everyone has lost a loved one to these crimes. Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Lewis Dear is a terrorist just as much as the San Bernardino shooters are, let’s speak about them equally.
What’s majorly important here is that this shooting only happened a few days ago which begs the question, was this crime scene even cleared? All I can think about is all the evidence they are contaminating. It was honestly like a cow stampede, reporters hungry to get the money shot on these people’s tiny apartment. Empty closets full of hangers and a baby’s crib with pink blankets and stuffed animals.
CNN claims that the scene was cleared, but ethically they’ve just tarnished their name beyond repair. Reports are now being released that the landlord may have not even let the reporters in and that they rushed him. This mess continues to get bigger and bigger as more information is released.
Washington Post: Reporters Rush San Bernardino Shooter's Home
