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Ride/Park Accidents

There has been an update on the little boy.
He is off the ventilator, and is breathing without assistance.

It is good to see his condition moving in the right direction.

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Stevie said:
What does it matter if he was 6 or 7? The kid is still in hospital.

Jeez guys, bit of perspective.
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It matters because a decent level of journalism should be expected and would be respectful. The press just making shit up, which they blatantly do, or simply not bothering to fact check and accidentally getting things wrong, can only cause further stress and anguish for the family.
 
He could have gone to Lightwater as a birthday treat.
Others complaining that the media got his medical state wrong...the media simply went off information given out by the police, don't shoot the messager.
 
Then the Police should have said "no comment" rather than speculating themselves, in fact I don't think the Police should engage with the media with so called "updates" at all. Let the press speculate and make shit up as much as they want, they'll soon reign it in after they have to make huge payouts for libel/slander.
 
IanSR said:
Then the Police should have said "no comment" rather than speculating themselves, in fact I don't think the Police should engage with the media with so called "updates" at all.
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In situations like this the police release statements with the agreement of relatives, and specifically to stop rumour and speculation which, as I said before, can make things so much worse for those involved. It is the right thing to do.

As for the first update being of less serious injuries, that would not have been made up, that would have come from the hospital. Medical assessment and recovery is not linear; things can seem to be going well but then change, patients deteriorate, complications arise hours or days or sometimes years down the line. You can only work with the current assessment and initially that assessment from the hospital was 'not life threatening or life changing'.
 
pluk said:
In situations like this the police release statements with the agreement of relatives, and specifically to stop rumour and speculation which, as I said before, can make things so much worse for those involved. It is the right thing to do.

As for the first update being of less serious injuries, that would not have been made up, that would have come from the hospital. Medical assessment and recovery is not linear; things can seem to be going well but then change, patients deteriorate, complications arise hours or days or sometimes years down the line. You can only work with the current assessment and initially that assessment from the hospital was 'not life threatening or life changing'.
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Yes I get that, what I'm saying is the Police shouldn't have to waste their time doing statements in the first place.
 
If the police didn't issue statements after major incidents then all you would have is untempered tabloid sensationalism and lies as per The Sun's initial coverage of Hillsborough.
 
Yup and it would only take a few payouts before they temper in their sensationalism.
 
IanSR said:
Yes I get that, what I'm saying is the Police shouldn't have to waste their time doing statements in the first place.
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At the risk of derailing the topic, it is squarely within the polices remit to do press releases in this way.

- it protects involved parties from constant intrusion of multiple parties wanting a story or the facts.
- the role of the police, after preventing and detecting crime, is to reduce the fear of crime. Ensuring facts, as best they can be established, are reported rather than wild speculation goes a long way to fulfilling this.

IanSR said:
Yup and it would only take a few payouts before they temper in their sensationalism.
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History tells us this is simply not true.
 
Back in the 80's the Police didn't waste their time doing press releases and stuff and the press reigned it in and didn't act like sensationalists, I just find it amusing you're arguing for more work with someone who is saying the Police forces are so overstretched and underfunded that they might find their jobs easier to do if they didn't have to waste their time continually updating the media every other hour, but whatever.
 
Not to do it would be a false economy.

Can you imagine how many phone calls and station visitors police would have to deal with if the info wasn't out there? Very disruptive and time consuming.

As it is, there is a small, cheap to run department knocking out press releases based on info police are documenting internally anyway. Costs the front line practically nothing in time and the organisation practically nothing financially.
And fulfills a legitimate aim in reducing fear of crime.
And is used as active source of intelligence.
And is used as an educational tool preventing crime.
Etc etc etc
 
Well, since you put it like that, I can see your point, still think there's far more important thing for you lot to be doing though.
 
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