A Complaint to TV3

Mayoegian

I think that everybody here can agree that the way TV3 handled Brian Lenihan's cancer diagnosis was sick, wrong and immoral. In my opinion, it was downright pathetic and a desperate attempt to get attention. They didn't care what damage they did to the Lenihan family and I believe they should be complained about.

I wrote this letter and e-mailed it to the station as I believe that they should be taken up on the matter. Some of you might want to send this off too, edit it or write your own. The e-mail address is info@tv3.ie . Even better to e-mail info@bai.ie..
Hopefully, if they get enough of these complaints, they'll be forced to apologise. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

Dear sir/madam,

I would like to make an official complaint against TV3 for its handling of Brian Lenihan's cancer diagnosis.

I am by no means a supporter of Brian Lenihan as a politician. Why? Because he's a Fianna Fáiler. He made some harsh decisions in the last Budget, some which I believed were unfair - but somebody had to make them. After all, he's merely doing his job. Outside of working hours, he is just a normal citizen, leading an everyday life. For that reason, my dislike of him, as a Fianna Fáil man, ends there. I do however, respect him as a person, like I do everybody else. I therefore respect his right to privacy - and the privacy of his family.

Everybody knows someone who has cancer. I have friends, family and neighbours who have either suffered from this disease or died from it. Two people close to me are currently undergoing treatment. They had no control over it, they didn't see it coming - it just happened. In those circumstances, all they have control over is how they break the awful news to their loved ones. It is their right, and your television station violated this right. Mr. Lenihan is a father, son, husband, brother and friend - then a politician. Family always comes first and in this situation, when he pleaded with the media to keep the terrible news of his cancer until the New Year, his family was what was on his mind. He wished to spend the Christmas season enjoying it with his family before he had to face the grim reality of his cancer. That was his Christmas wish, and your television station had the obligation to respect this wish, but in your merciless quest to get in there first, you denied this man a peaceful Christmas with his family.

Pancreatic cancer is considered the worst cancer of all. There is only a 5% survival rate after five years. It is not a news item, it is an unfortunate private matter to the person who has contracted it and to their family. It is hard enough to know of the long and painful road ahead that you and your family face, but nobody should have their misfortune splashed all over the television like idle gossip. You should have recognised his fundamental right as a person to privacy and respected his wish to keep his sickness secret until the New Year.

The way in which your station has handled this affair is, in my opinion, completely wrong and immoral. You ignored all compassion and sympathy for a man with a terrible illness and the privacy and suffering of his wife and children. For that reason, I and everybody I know will no longer switch on TV3 again knowing the kind of values and principles your television station holds. I hope you can find it in your hearts to apologise to a man and his family you have so deeply hurt.

Yours sincerely,
( name ).

AlekSmart

I would be very surprised if,by now,several complaints have not been lodged to :

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission.2-5 Warrington Place Dublin 2.
Tel:01 6761097

As I understand it ALL complaints must be made in writing,but a complaint form is available for download on their website

www.bcc.ie

I would recommend that those who genuinely feel TV3 has exceeded their remit should make such a complaint.

Kimbot

Seriously, you posted the exact same thing in AH!!

Mayoegian

I posted it here first and then saw all the threads in ah about it.

Flamed Diving

jonny24ie wrote: »

Seriously, you posted the exact same thing in AH!!

Oh, won't someone please think of the children?

:rolleyes:

PCPhoto

i was all set to post a lovely rant against your Lenihan complaint - and the thread was closed in AH.

This time I will be fast before this is closed also.

if he didnt want to be in the public eye - he shouldnt have become a public figure (politician)

let him go back to whatever sector of society he came from and let the rest of the country get on...... why blame TV3 for it..... someone had to feed them the information.

Flamed Diving

PCPhoto wrote: »

i was all set to post a lovely rant against your Lenihan complaint - and the thread was closed in AH.

This time I will be fast before this is closed also.

if he didnt want to be in the public eye - he shouldnt have become a public figure (politician)

let him go back to whatever sector of society he came from and let the rest of the country get on...... why blame TV3 for it..... someone had to feed them the information.

Should be become terminal, should TV3 film his last moments? Poking a camera in through his bedroom window? Asking for a last comment?

He did choose to be in the public eye, after all.

:rolleyes:

Byron85

Rabble Rabble Rabble!!!

cornbb

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Should be become terminal, should TV3 film his last moments? Poking a camera in through his bedroom window? Asking for a last comment?

He did choose to be in the public eye, after all.

:rolleyes:

Oh such drama, that's not even in the same realm as merely reporting the news, which TV3 did.

He is one of the most senior government ministers, a serious illness will have serious repercussions for the government and the economy. It was certainly in the public interest to break the news. Unfortunately for a man in Lenihan's position (whom I have great sympathy with if he is seriously ill) he doesn't have the luxury of 100% privacy in these matters. It comes with the job.

I see far more unpleasant things surrounding this news than TV3's actions, i.e. the comments made by certain posters in AH. I'm sure that the media will continue to handle the matter with some degree of dignity and respect however.

Flamed Diving

cornbb wrote: »

Oh such drama, that's not even in the same realm as merely reporting the news, which TV3 did.

He is one of the most senior government ministers, a serious illness will have serious repercussions on the government, politics and economy. It was in the public interest to break the news. Unfortunately for a man in Lenihan's position (whom I have great sympathy with if he is seriously ill) he doesn't have the luxury of 100% privacy in these matters. It comes with the job.

I see far more unpleasant things surrounding this news than TV3's actions, i.e. the comments made by certain posters in AH.

You know, if there was a World Cup for forums for "missing the point", this place would win, hands down.

It's almost special.

cornbb

Flamed Diving wrote: »

You know, if there was a World Cup for forums for "missing the point", this place would win, hands down.

It's almost special.

I can't believe I'm actually replying to this, but anyway... go on then, enlighten me, what's the point? If TV3 didn't do wrong by reporting the news, what did they do wrong? Are you willing to debate this or are you going to continue to rely on schoolyard insults, low-brow sarcasm and :rolleyes: smilies?

Flamed Diving

Properly read (minus hysteria) one should see the point I am making with such a exaggerated scenario. If one becomes a public figure, where is the line to be drawn between private life and public life? Should the line cross over the point where your potentially terminal illness is broadcast across the state, without given permission? If not, where is the line? Live broadcast of the last rites? If not, why not? Why not push the line back over the first point? Justify your answer.