Sandy Hook 911 Recordings: News Value or Shock Value?
With the release of audio recordings of the Sandy Hook 911 calls, media outlets are weighing the news value of using them against the inevitable criticism that to do so is macabre exploitation.
The recordings were released Wednesday after the Associated Press sued for access, calling them a vital piece of the public record. New Britain Superior Court Judge Eliot Prescott agreed, saying that to delay the release “particularly where the legal justification to keep them confidential is lacking, only serves to fuel speculation about and undermine confidence in our law enforcement officials, " USA Today reported.
If news outlets opt to use the recordings, “context is everything,” said Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center on Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. “Are you just posting a bunch of audio saying ‘Here’s what a school shooting sounds like’ or are you adding real value to the story you’re doing and to the coverage?”
Shapiro pointed to the story accompanying excerpts of the recordings on the
The recordings were released Wednesday after the Associated Press sued for access, calling them a vital piece of the public record. New Britain Superior Court Judge Eliot Prescott agreed, saying that to delay the release “particularly where the legal justification to keep them confidential is lacking, only serves to fuel speculation about and undermine confidence in our law enforcement officials, " USA Today reported.
If news outlets opt to use the recordings, “context is everything,” said Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center on Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. “Are you just posting a bunch of audio saying ‘Here’s what a school shooting sounds like’ or are you adding real value to the story you’re doing and to the coverage?”
Shapiro pointed to the story accompanying excerpts of the recordings on the