AIBU to think the BBC should not air sympathetic neighbour clips?

[ForsterMcLennan]

A man is on the run after probably murdering his family - and the BBC makes the editorial decision to play a clip of a man who looked after their swimming pool. He was a “softly spoken man” apparently, a nice guy looking forward to his daughter’s sports day. I am furious. If this is the only background they have, ditch it. A monster made into a cuddly, kind dad. I can’t believe you would run this.

It’s not sympathetic to anyone! It’s an opinion on his character from someone who was 100% wrong! As indeed many people are wrong about others - all the time. It’s just saying “I thought I knew him, but I didn’t”. The bbc hasn’t done anything here! Plus many people are going to be shocked a person they think they know could possibly do this! What’s wrong with saying that! It’s hardly support. It’s stating the obvious.

It’s like they are trying to push the narrative that he just snapped as he couldn’t cope with her divorcing him. Whereas in all likelihood he was a nasty abusive man behind closed doors and she was trying to escape but it’s still somehow her fault. Can’t imagine the terror she and her poor children have felt probably for years and that night.

I think very few tears would be shed if someone were to do him in painfully and slowly in wherever in Zimbabwe he's sneaked off to. I've got a few quid to throw into a GoFundMe if they need hiring for the purpose.

I'm guessing this post probably contravenes the site rules. Sorry, not sorry.

I hate this too. Also the bewildered family & friends of “sweetest family man” interviewed when he is charged with DV.

BBC is propaganda like all media. You can't expect them to do anything with a shred of morals. That's not how they make their money.

I had a client once. I so looked forward to his calls. He was lovely. Chat for ages about anything and everything. A former tv presenter.

And then I found out he’d been in prison for sexually abusing vulnerable people.

The point is, you never know.

I think it's important to know that people who appear to be normal, likeable, friendly in public can also be monsters behind closed doors.

IIRC there was one clip of some teenage girls, who were friends of the older daughter who also said how lovely the mum had been to them all. Then there were quite a fair few clips of various different men saying what a nice bloke the father was.

I hate it too and it's devoid of meaning. So what if he seemed a perfectly nice chap? He clearly wasn't and all it tells us is that he was good at hiding his true character. No surprises there.

I'd dispense completely with vox pops: they're a thing of the past & add nothing to the story. Lazy so-called journalism.

But don't we aleady know that?

Nothing wrong with reinforcing that message.

Ive just looked up Clodagh and her children. Its beyond words how awful all this was.

An anniversary mass for Alan Hawe took place on the first anniversary of his death in Castlerahan, despite his body having been exhumed from there earlier in the year. The relatives of Clodagh Hawe were unaware of who organised the mass and stated they felt the act was disrespectful.

Wtf!

I can't remember the case but there was a man who murdered his ex and his saughter at a leisure ecntre and the surviving sibling did a campaign to stop the media from doinf these 'lovely bloke' type interviews wirh neighbours. These abusive men often have a well polished veneer and the neighbours won't have seen how horrible they really are.

Yes, the ‘a good man who snapped’ narrative is profoundly problematic for a number of reasons.