Did you know David Gaynor?
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We reckon that this is the ultimate in bad taste by the Herald and its editorial staff. A young man has died, in tragic circumstances. A family is grieving. And all the Herald seems to care about is getting an angle.
What makes it even worse is this; David Gaynor is the son of Brian Gaynor, a financial analyst and media commentator who writes on matters financial for the Herald. If this is how the journalistic community treats one of its own, how can we expect them to show respect for Joe Public?
So what do you think; is this just bad taste on the part of the Herald, or is it what is often described as gutter journalism? Or are we over-reacting?
20 comments:
Yes,
This is absolutely shocking muck-raking.
To call it journalism would be an insult to journalism.
It just pisses me off.
I only hope that any coronorial inquiry into Mr Gaynor's death is conducted in more dignity than was James Websters.
Sadly, some-how I doubt it.
How is asking people who know the deceased to contact them, muck-raking?
Is there muck to be raked?
It hadn't occurred to me that there might be.
Robert - IMHO it is incredibly insensitive to the Gaynor family. A young man has died; the story has been reported today, so why can't they leave it there, at least until after the family has had a chance to say goodbye. Enough is known of the deceased that the Herald reporters don't need to be soliciting information. It's callous and it's incredibly disrespectful to the Gaynor family. Well, I think it is, anyway.
RG even the most oafish f*****t usually knows when **** off.
This little effort of yours would have earnt a lifetime ban elsewhere.
If only Adolf, if only.
Inv I agree with you - gutter journalism at it's worst.
when I saw your headline, I thought oh oh, Sir Bob would have already made a comment and I would have to agree with him for once BUT no, as usual his appalling thought process saved me.
I agree, really low. It's the last thing a grieving family needs.
Time that alcoholic pre and after-balls were dropped?
TV3 reports that ecstacy and cocaine were being used at the ball. The boy was ejected from the ball. The Headmaster wouldn't deny that the boy had taken cocaine. Not my opinion, those of you who go snakey at the mere mention of such details, but what the news reported. The reporter also revealed that Key's son Max was at the same ball.
Perhaps the photo doesn't show him planking after all! (Go nuts Adolf!)
I think it was more disgusting to see the headmaster of that school on TV tonight, denying any drug use or alcohol was involved in the event, and refusing to answer questions in regards to that.
Good on the Herald for trying to get to the bottom of it, and report the truth.
Obviously there are some parents out there that don't see our drinking or drug culture in NZ as a problem, and are happy to try to cover it up.
NOT good enough!
@ Jacqueline - I see where you are coming from, but imagine (God forbid) that this was your daughter; how would you feel about a newspaper asking her friends to contact them so that they could get a salacious angle on the story? I would be absolutely f*****g ropable (and I don't swear often!), with good cause. There is a time and a place, and this was neither IMHO.
Perhaps the Herald was as frustrated as Jacqueline by the stonewalling of the Headmaster and no doubt others and wanted to hear from someone who would be open and truthful. Open and truthful Inv2 - have you got something against that?
The student who reported seeing boys doing lines in the toilets and said there was widespread use of ecstasy at the ball might be an example - what do you reckon Inv2?
My daughter's ball was the previous week. I spent all night up worrying about her. I can tell you right now that if this was my daughter, i would be more effing ropable at the people that had supplied her with drugs and alcohol and would want the truth to come out.
The Herald are doing their job, and good on them. I hope the school, and the parents that supplied the alcohol do not succeed in sweeping this under the carpet!
Well said Robert. Exactly my point.
The school and the parents are trying to cover this up.
If this was my child i would want the truth - NOT a cover up...and if that meant that it came out that my child was drunk or using drugs or whatever then so be it.
It will only be when these things are no longer covered up, that people learn from such a tragedy.
Covering it up = that kid died in vain. Getting the truth = maybe ONE kid will not go down the same road...or one parent will stop and think twice before supplying their kid and their friends with booze.
This is a topic that i feel passionately about and i do not agree with you KS.
The truth needs to be told.
We'll have to agree to disagree then Jackie; I don't for one moment believe that the Herald is trying to find out the truth; it's more about selling newspapers.
As for the allegations of drug-taking; that is a matter for the school and for the police. There is a well-established legal process for sudden deaths, and doubtless toxicology reports will be presented at the inquest in due course. That is where that aspect should be left for now IMHO.
In the meantime, let's not forget the Gaynor family. Robert, Jackie, myself; we're all parents, and we can only imagine the distress which that family is feeling at the moment.
Of course they are also trying to sell papers. That is what they are paid to do. That is their job. If they didn't do that then we would have no media.
It can't always be pleasant, and warm fluffies when doing their job.
My prayers are with the Gaynor family, and i truly hope that if someone supplied him with alcohol and / or drugs...then that is made public, and they are charged.
Howick College had no problem making all parents and students aware that they would be notifying the police of any organised pre ball or after ball events, and that any parents supplying alochol to the students were breaking the law.
I would say that it was partly because of Howick's vigilance, that my daughter and her friends were sober when i collected them from the after ball at 5am.
If Howick College, and the parents of the students that go there can take the care and attention that this matter deserves, i am sure that King's College and it's parents, and every other school can as well.
Someone needs to be held accountable for this kid's death.
That Headmaster made my blood boil.
As a journalist who has worked on both NZ and UK daily papers, I can only say that in some respects the Herald is only doing its job.
However, I expected it would have conducted its inquiries with a bit more sensitivity.
Asking readers upfront if they know the deceased is a bit much, and that is from someone who has 'doorknocked' for a couple of the larger regional papers in Britain.
I did not know that the father of the deceased was the respected commentator Brian Gaynor. I can only hope that for his sake, he agrees to open his heart to one of the paper's more senior and sympathetic journalists.
He might find doing so would perform some kind of closure to the event. It might also curb what might be seen as muckraking by more junior staff.
Of course the Herald is only doing its job. But remember they do not want a crusade, or even a story. They want a HEADLINE.
Statements like "Covering it up = that kid died in vain. Getting the truth = maybe ONE kid will not go down the same road..." Do nothing, and belong with the mostly mawkishly sentimental drivel found on the pages of the digital shrines that the young now use to remember their departed friends.
If you are going to rely on a school, the Police or, god forbid, a newspaper to find out what your children are doing, then they are already lost to you I'm afraid.
There is almost certainly a story to be told & much to be learnt from it. What is also certain is that decency & good taste would see that the parents & friends of the deceased get time to mourn in private.
My child is not lost to me - just as i am sure that Brian Gaynor's child was not lost to him.
Someone at that ball was supplying drugs and alcohol to those kids, and someone should be held accountable for that.
To support an effort to cover this issue up, is displaying exactly what is wrong in our society in New Zealand, in regards to the culture of excessive drug and alcohol abuse.
Covering it up, pretending it is not there, sweeping it under the carpet, and the lack of empathy shown for anyone who succumbs to any form of addiction or substance abuse is what causes us to lose our children...i'm afraid.
Whats the freeking rush here, sadly the tragic problem is not going away anytime soon. The Gaynor family need weeks to deal with this.
The whole matter of destructive behavior among teens and the young is an exponentially growing problem and I posted on that following Davids untimely death.
My first attempt didn't make the blog but after reconsidering I took the opportunity with a second attempt as the problem so formidable. I made no reference or speculation on this latest tragedy only used it as the opportunity it was. Even that gave me considerable angst.
My closing questioned the success of the many attempts to find answers and concluded with the query that maybe the wrong people are asking the questions.
We must still use every resource to find those answers but the Gaynor family must be given the space to grieve, they deserve and need nothing less.
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