Why is UK media so censored

[squiffy]

Out of sight, out of mind eh?
Full gory scenes SHOULD be shown at a suitable time...as a citizen of a country in any war role, the citizens have a right to know what/why/how every detail, from reason for war, and details of any mass killings/inappropriate conduct and action taken against the soldiers. ie cleared sentences for our/US soldiers killing unarmed Iraqi children.

 

[PardonTheWait]

the citizens have a right to know what/why/how every detail, from reason for war, and details of any mass killings/inappropriate conduct and action taken against the soldiers.

What you are suggesting would take away my right to know I can turn my TV on and not be confronted with a graphic video of a real human being having his head cut off.

That's wrong.

You have the right to see this stuff - look it up on the internet and find it.

 

[Radiation]

Wars shouldn't happen especially now we should be growing up as a civilisation, when people are happy and have full lives they don't want conflict and most of the bad in the world would be gone, why don't they spend the billions on improving these poor countries instead of causing suffering by shooting and bombing the place.

 

[squiffy]

What you are suggesting would take away my right to know I can turn my TV on and not be confronted with a graphic video of a real human being having his head cut off.

That's wrong.

You have the right to see this stuff - look it up on the internet and find it.

If you go down this path can make anything offensive...ie if I were a extremist Muslim Sunday religious programmes would be offensive, I don't want to watch infidels when I switch on the TV. I want to see covered up women. Another example is South Park to extreme Christian, I bet pretty offensive, but they no right to remove from the air/ban. Tough luck if he switches to that channel during a "god" mick take.

What you find offensive, others will find as a documentary, which it is. It is my right to see what is happening in this world on mainstream TV (and to know the public knows what is happening) If a general "search the internet" response is stated, it stays unknown to the general public. Which is bad. Good example is American Patriot act I/II. Slipped through US congress and wasen't discussed as much as it should have been, considering the issues (all pro-war etc)

 

[PardonTheWait]

If you go down this path can make anything offensive...ie if I were a extremist Muslim Sunday religious programmes would be offensive, I don't want to watch infidels when I switch on the TV. I want to see covered up women.

What you find offensive, others will find as a documentary, which it is. It is my right to see what is happening in this world on mainstream TV (and to know the public knows what is happening) If a general "search the internet" response is stated, it stays unknown to the general public. Which is bad. Good example is American Patriot act I/II. Slipped through US congress and wasen't discussed as much as it should have been, considering the issues (all pro-war etc)

wtf?

I am going to sum up what you just said.

If you say seeing SOMEONE BEHEADED ON TELEVISION is offensive you can say ANYTHING is offensive

That's retarded.

There is NO need to show beheadings and roadside bombings on mainstream television. If you're ****ed in the head and you need to see this stuff, you can go and root around and find it. I'm no prude but it's startling how desensitised some people are these days.

 

[Phil99]

Out of sight, out of mind eh?
Full gory scenes SHOULD be shown at a suitable time...as a citizen of a country in any war role, the citizens have a right to know what/why/how every detail, from reason for war, and details of any mass killings/inappropriate conduct and action taken against the soldiers. ie cleared sentences for our/US soldiers killing unarmed Iraqi children.

If it's freely available on TV, would you still feel it a good idea if a child turned on their TV late at night to see someone having their head cut off? The description by Stellios was enough to send a shiver down my spine, imagine what such graphic images would do to a child?

Not just children either, fair enough some people might want to watch it, but I can't say flicking through channels even late at night (which I'm assuming is what you'd deem as a suitable time) that I'd be particularly pleased to see such graphic images of beheadings, roadside bombings or other such incidents.

The videos are on the internet if you want to see them, practically everyone has access to the 'net now, therefore why does this material have to broadcast on TV?

 

[Yewen]

I do know that this goes on, to basically forcefully have it shoved in my face while I am waiting for the weather is wrong.

Its called common sense, not many people want what would make a horror film look mild shoved in there breakfast, especially when children are watching due to the times the news is on.

Freedom of speech means we can legally access this content, so if we want to we can, although for the majority of people having the option to just read about it and be horrified is enough, and they get to keep there stomachs.

I am 17 and I would not have wanted to have seen what you are describing at the age of 8, it would have scarred me for life. You say I am kidding but I am not, I had a intense fear of people grabbing my head and still do, so a beheading on the news would have freaked me out as I couldnt not contextualise it in any way or form.

You can't put that sort of thing on daytime, or even night time TV.

The fact you can get it on the interenet is enough, I know I have READ about this on the BBC website on a lot of occassions, and that is more than enough for me.

^^Exactly the same point as me, only I was to slow!

 

[squiffy]

wtf?

I am going to sum up what you just said.



That's retarded.

There is NO need to show beheadings and roadside bombings on mainstream television. If you're ****ed in the head and you need to see this stuff, you can go and root around and find it. I'm no prude but it's startling how desensitised some people are these days.

Insults now? You go on pretending war is fun and full of fluffy bunnies.

Since I'm not a journalist I can't say what their code is regarding exact detail, but I have seen war footage...whether or not you dislike specifics is beside the point. It is happening. It is up to the journalist/editor to decide what to show according to "decency" in their documentary. Who are you to say what or can't be shown? If they don't show roadside bombings why don't remove any pictures of any fatalities? But then it's not showing what is happening. Yes it's gruesome but IMO people need to be disgusted from time to time, it's that what motivates people to stand up and do something, from joining to services, to protesting/writing to their MP.

If you don't look at pictures of Iraqi civilian deaths and knowing what's happening you're no better than being a german civilian during WW II. Different time, different news sources, but the same principle. Know all the facts. ie if Hitler decided to show graphic detail in 1940 about death camps german people who have revolted against their goverment (possibly) Like I said "out of sight, out of mind"

 

[Yewen]

Load of rubbish in my opinion squiffy.

You can't force beheadings on a audience primarily made up of families, on a late night adult rated channel maybe, with due warning.

Poverty, they show enough of that and the hardships on the television, edited but still VERY moving and makes you want to act. You do not have to go to extremes to get the public up in arms, all a televised beheading would do is get the chairman of the BBC sacked, and get the public totally against the issue of showing it on TV, not what the issue actually is about.

You can READ its happening, and have the opertunity to stop your imagination, TV is forced upon you. You get enough graphic description on internet news sites and newspapers, you don't need it on the TV where children will see it. Ok if they read it and dont get the whole picture due to a immature and undeveloped vocabulary, but TV its there for them to see, black and white, and that is wrong.

 

[Phil99]

You go on pretending war is fun and full of fluffy bunnies

I don't know about anyone else, but when I see reports of beheadings on the news with videos of absolutely terrified victims being held, blindfolded, at gunpoint, fun and fluffy bunnies isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind.

How about innocent civilians being ordered out of their cars and being shot "execution style" with no escape - it's terrifying. I don't need graphic videos for it to hit home how bad things can be.

 

[Yewen]

Just you writing the execution style bit instantly caused a re-read and then a sit still and contemplate and draw myself together, when the article is on the BBC site it spurs more of a reaction.

Yes we are protected by the state in some ways, but I am glad for it as to be honest I would prefer to live a slightly sheltered but happy life than one where I lived in fear due to events across the globe being broadcast on my TV of that grotesque nature since I was a child.

Not very often I am not light hearted on a forum, but this really is something that should never be on a public broadcast.

 

[Freeman]

I've seen beheading, bombs, mutilated bodies, blood and so on all on the BBC 1 and 2, they show stuff like this, but very rarely.

 

[Yewen]

Yes buts it is always edited or cut so you either see the aftermath or you can't put the elemnt that people are actually caught up in it to the images.

September 11th and other live broadcasts are the exception, if it happens it happens.

/Good example is the 1996 Manchester (I think it was) bomb video they have just released, a lot of people hurt in that but people are not seen in the video, it is very short and edited in length to avoid the human element to come in.

That is ok for TV, a child will not see it more than a truck blowing up, nobody is hurt so no reason to worry as when they blow up nobody is around. For an adult it is more servere as you can apreciate the affect the event you just witnessed has had on those in the adjactent buildings.

 

[Nix]

I agree with Mohinder and Yewen on this. I'm well aware war is not pretty, I'm also well aware that the things humans can do to eachother is just beyond twisted. Don't believe me? Read.

I remember when Mr. Bigley (R.I.P.) was being held captive, and the fear you could see in his face was enough to make me want to do something. Although, I was powerless to do anything. My friend tried showing me 'the' video and I refused outright because even the description was enough to send a cold shiver over me. I have a pretty strong imagination, so describing it to me is pretty much all that is needed. By showing such morbid actions in prime time viewing is beyond a bloody joke! What are you thinking? If a 20 year old man is unwilling to view such clips with maturity and full understanding of world events, then what do you think it would do to a small naive child? We're fortunate to not have to have such things shoved in our faces and we should be thankfull for that.

In comparision to Mohinder's statement that we're become more desensistied, I'll have to disagree. The reason being on the basis that cultures and even the root of our culture have been subject and were fully aware of such things. Take medievil warefare for example. We are lucky enough to not be subject to such imagery in the 20-21st centuries and as of such are probably more sensitive to it than ever before, there will always be some individuals who enjoy the images or have to satisfy their curiosity, which in it's own sense is a form of enjoyment.

I'm considering joining the armed services under the fully aware pretext that I could see such images first hand, but that is my choice as an adult. I would not wish to see such images broadcast to me over the television. The television for me is a medium for enjoyment, not a rememinder how cruel the world can be. For the same reason I do not enjoy horror films, not because they scare me, it's just the needless graphic mutilation of some films just do nothing for me, I can't understand why some people enjoy them.

 

[fenderbass86]

Eugh, that site has some pretty ****ed up stuff on it. The beheadings are much worse than I imagined.

They still give me nightmares.

 

[Freefaller]

Have any of you ever spent time in a country with a civil war or a full on war going on? If any of you have (and even if you haven't) you don't need to see all the details to know how horrid it is. Seeing what a bullet, or a piece of shrapnel, or a mortar shell can do to a human body, a family or a group of people. IT's not like in the movies - people don't get up again. They become fleshy masses on the floor, rag dolls ripped to pieces. It's devastating. People are angry, sad, furious or just completely ****** up because of what's going on. There is no "good side" or "bad side" it's all a big mess. Anybody that finds it exciting or interesting or wants to experience it has a screw loose in my opinion. My father was held at gun point and was almost shot for being in the wrong place at the wrong time in Beirut - god knows how he got out of that one - we don't really talk about it. I've spent time in the middle east during times I shouldn't have been there - it's not cool, it's not hollywood - there are real people, real babies, real kids being ripped to pieces and punctured, families losing their whole blood line. You can smell fetid and drying blood in the air mixing with the cordite - it's not cool.

I'm glad they don't show how horrible things are because it's not nice. Maybe it might make people realise how bad it is, but I reckon in general it will be so repulsive and revolting that they would receive more criticism than acclaim. However it might give people a kick up the arse and see how ****** up wars are and lobby against it harder. It's very easy to judge from the comfort of your living room with a cup of tea - but you don't need to see it graphically to imagine how bad it is. The clips they do show on the news to me show more than enough to be able to understand the awful things going on.

Furthermore I know in France it's no less censored, or here in Cyprus or in Germany.

 

[Spacky]

Human curiousity is a dark and secretative thing.

 

[Von Luck]

I'm with Mohinder on this - there's no call to show graphic violence in the news, regardless of how accurate it may be.

Report the events by all means, but I see no need to display images of blood and gore to reinforce how unpleasant things are.

Anyone with an ounce of common sense will know that a 'suicide bombing' or 'beheading' is going to be the most extreme, horrific and terrifying event imaginable, without needing to see it.

People who actively seek out these kind of images are a bit twisted imo.

 

[kitten_caboodle]

The UK media isn't what you'd call censored. Try China.

That's exactly what I was going to say

see this for proof!

 

[homerio]

It's hardly as if we need to see a video to know what's going on. Even if I had not seen certain videos on the internet I would have known the full scale of what was going on. You do not need to see a video of a beheading to realise it's not all fluffy bunnys and rainbows.