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Friday, October 28, 2011

DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE

This picture has been bothering me a lot since it was posted by @richardbarrow on Twitter yesterday afternoon. 
As you can see, the television reporter is standing in water outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok. But look closer and you'll see dry land only metres away. No doubt the audience seeing the subsequent report will only see the flooding in the background.
In my opinion this reporter is breaking the most important rule in journalism - to report the truth. What viewers saw was not the entire picture. 
I'd love to know which television station this reporter works for, and indeed what the editor would say when presented with this image. No doubt the report was dramatic - floods lapping at the walls of one of Bangkok's tourist icons - but is that really what was happening at the time?
It just goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you see - or read for that matter.

4 comments:

Anonymous 7:34 AM  

Do you know what he reported? As you said you don't know what TV station he's working for. Maybe he reported that there was water in front of the palace, which is true. Water that might get in the next day when there's more water from the north together with another high tide. As a matter of fact, water was seeping in that day. 'That you shouldn't believe everything you see' Agreed a 100%.

(c) 2016 Written by Andrew Batt 8:00 AM  

Accept your point, however I cannot see the point of standing in the water when dry land was just metres away. One reason would be to exaggerate the extend of what was happening at that time.

Doing that same report from the angle this picture was taken would probably have less impact. It does depend on what was reported, but images tell the story and remain in the mind for a very long time. Just ask anyone in Singapore. Everyone I talk to remembers the dramatic images of Central World buring last year which appeared on front pages and in television reports. They don't remember the details - only the pictures.

Aman 12:49 PM  

this is rather sad but true.in an attempt to sensationalize their news piece they don't mind misleading the audience.most tragic is when these go out and tourist start avoiding travel to thailand all together.the don muang airport images of planes deep in water did exactly that.

Travel in Thailand 4:20 PM  

Effectivly when you see this picture, you understand how media work. I also saw pictures whith water in front of Great palace and didn't know there was so little water. i had the impression that the pacace was surrender by floods. What a shame to not show the situation as it is !

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