Why watch the news?

[village_person]

Tonight on the ABC TV news at 7PM a report covered the bombing in Turkey. Before the footage was shown viewers were warned that they may find part of the report "confronting" or "distressing" or something like that. Why would a warning be needed? News reports are about the world as it is which means stories about war, famine, catastrophic events and other calamities will be covered. The news isn't dedicated to fashion shows or baking competitions.

If a person isn't prepared to digest the news as it is maybe they should watch reruns of Gilligan's Island.

[twyngwyn]

Maybe, you wouldn't want young children to see it

[the_great_she_elephant]

I don't see a problem with warning people that some of the footage they are going to see is disturbing. It simply prepares them for what they are going to see. For example, I've recently been watching footage of the WA bushfires, it was pretty grim , but more or less what I expected to see. However, had the TV stations chosen to show close ups of animals with horrific burns or of the two bodies  they discovered after the fire went through Yarloop, then I would certainly have liked some warning rather than suddenly being confronted with it.