Photos of people facing death are disturbing, but when children are the victims, the images are devastating. Chris Klich of La Mesa was among readers who found a June 1 photo on Page A-3 upsetting. It captured the fear and suffering of a 4-year-old boy being held hostage at knifepoint.
The headline above the Associated Press photo told readers it was a “FATAL CONFRONTATION.” The caption explained that Diomedes Talvo grabbed the boy at a bus station in suburban Manila and demanded to speak to a top Philippines government official. “After about two hours, he began stabbing the child,” the caption said. “Police opened fire, and Talvo and the boy were killed. The boy was hit five times and died from a bullet in his chest. The local police chief was fired over the incident.” There was no story with the photo; there should have been.
On Tuesday, readers learned more. A Reuters story said that the Philippines president vowed “to punish policemen who may have shot and killed” the boy “in a bungled hostage rescue attempt.” It also said as crowds watched the drama unfold, it was shown on national television.
With “police standing only a few feet way, the man repeatedly pierced the boy’s sides and back with his knife,” the story said. “The boy, bloodied and screaming in pain, grabbed the blade of the knife buried in his back and tried to pull it out.” That last sentence was too much information for most readers.
The story said the boy was stabbed five times and shot four times. In an e-mail to Klich, the father of a 9-year-old, I explained that although the incident had happened in the Philippines, it was news and would be of particular interest to the Filipino community in San Diego which, he acknowledged, is quite large. He also said he is aware of the importance of photojournalism, especially as it helps shape public opinion.
“Still, as a dad, watching children in terror immediately before their death still just doesn’t sit right,” he wrote.
In this case, I don’t think a story, especially one with gratuitous detail about the boy’s anguish, would have made the photo easier to look at. However, a carefully edited story could have given readers just enough detail to place the incident in context.
Karen Fitzmorris of Del Mar called the photo “horrific.” While the caption summarized the incident, including the role of police, the image continues to haunt Fitzmorris who said Thursday she still wants to know more. She doesn’t necessarily want more details about the incident, she explained, but would like to know what can be done for the family and to let them know their sorrow has touched others. She has taken it upon herself to call local Filipino groups for more information.
Lew Prince had no doubt that the photo of Old Town’s Fremont School that appeared in some editions June 1 was not taken in 1944 as the caption said. How could he be so sure?
Prince, who calls himself a “certified car nut,” said the tipoff was that the car in the photo was either a 1947 or 1948 Buick, “the difference being slight between the two.” Why was he so sure of himself?
“My first visit to San Diego was in the summer of 1949 in a 1947 Buick,” he wrote.
It’s too bad no one at the newspaper questioned the 1944 date.
A brief story May 28 said a woman who won a $22.6 million Megabucks slot machine jackpot at a Las Vegas casino took a lump-sum payment and got a check for nearly $908,000. Readers were curious. How could taxes eat up that much of $22.6 million?
They had a point. When questions were asked, the casino told the Associated Press the woman had not yet decided whether to take a lump sum or annual payments. Should the woman opt for a lump sum, the exact amount will be negotiated between the casino and the winner. Casino officials said they don’t reveal the information. The winner declined to discuss her winnings.
Remember the Union-Tribune graphic of the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis that appeared upon its return to San Diego late last month? A number of readers questioned the “chow time” information that said the 5,000 or so men and women on the carrier consumed 4,800 cases of soda each day. The figure got the attention of the reporter who thought it was much too high. He queried the Navy and was told the figure was correct.
When the calls came from readers who concluded each crew member consumed almost a case of soda a day, the Navy was again queried. After a few days came the answer. The correct figure should have been 4,800 cans, not cases.
Gina Lubrano’s column commenting on the media appears Mondays. It is the policy of The San Diego Union-Tribune to correct all errors. To discuss accuracy or fairness in the news, please write to Gina Lubrano, readers representative, Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191, or telephone (619) 293-1525. Send e-mail to:
readers.rep@uniontrib.com.
Copyright 2002 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
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