VALDOSTA —
The Internet is a world wide presence in nearly every home, workplace, school, church and government office. It provides invaluable access to data and information in addition to rapid means of communication. However, the downside of instant communication is becoming more recognized as tragedies, such as the recent death of a VSU student, are demonstrating.
The parents of Jasmine Benjamin have told news outlets across the country that their first notification of their daughter’s death was via Facebook, a horrific and impersonal way to find out such tragic news. Their story has resonated far and wide, broadcast on all the major networks and disseminated through popular media outlets such as People magazine.
Unfortunately, in the age of instant communication, as a society we can expect this to become far more common and the “norm” than the traditional method of learning bad news, which has typically been through law enforcement officials. Military wives learn about their husband’s deaths overseas long before the men in uniform come to their door. Even celebrity’s families learn of their loved one’s passing after the general public does. And it’s not just deaths, but divorces, accidents, pregnancies and more. There is no way to stop people from posting what they know, and the old rules about respecting privacy, especially for victim’s families, is dropping by the wayside.
News outlets typically abide by requests from law enforcement to withhold the victim’s name pending notification of next of kin, but those requests are becoming more and more difficult to honor as the person’s name is already circulating long before the paper comes out or the news airs on television.
How do we as a society cope with this new instant communication? How do the new lines get drawn about when and how and who notifications of bad news are to be done? If we can’t decide how to answer these questions, we can expect to see more of these stories repeated.
What We Think
Era of instant messaging and bad news
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THUMBS UP: To Dr. John Gaston, retiring dean of Valdosta State University’s College of the Arts. For the past 10-plus years, Gaston has worked to build a more interconnected program with various artistic and communications departments working together. Given that you are likely to see one College of the Arts department collaborating with another during events is proof of Gaston’s success.
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On the go this weekend
Take a breath.
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Sharing the roads with motorcycles
With the recent pleasant temperatures and sunny skies, the number of motorcycles on area roads has increased.
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Thank your local law enforcement today
Today, May 15, was designated Peace Officers Memorial Day back in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy was in office.
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Visit musical roots this weekend
Beginning Saturday, May 18, Nashville, Ga., will be hosting a special Smithsonian exhibit, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.” The exhibit will continue through the end of June and Nashville has done a tremendous job in promoting and planning for the exhibit.
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Happy Mother’s Day!
A few years ago, a television commercial asked, Who first believed in you? Many folks may have instinctively answered by simply saying, Mom.
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THUMBS UP: To mail workers, volunteers and food bank staff for gathering food for the annual Stamp Out Hunger postal food drive today. A plastic bag designated for canned goods and other non-perishable food items should have arrived in your mailbox earlier this week. If you haven’t already, take a few moments to fill the bag with food and hang from your mailbox. If you didn’t receive the special Stamp Out Hunger bag, any plastic bag filled with food will do. This food drive helps feed thousands of South Georgians annually. Valdosta-Lowndes County often donates more food than nearly all other cities and counties in Georgia.
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Celebrating nurses
She is considered the founder of modern nursing so it seems only natural that National Nurses Week would include Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
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Helping the hungry: Mail it in!
Valdosta-Lowndes County continues revealing its generous spirit.
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New school scoring system
The first year of any new program is always a tough one.
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