I recently published a blog post stating that I would listen to the explicit details of the Victoria Stafford case because it was our duty to listen. I recant…..completely recant on my initial thought.
I was working the majority of the day today, but I couldn’t help the random tweets passing by my screen about the Michael Rafferty murder trial. Throughout the morning, I have to admit that I did follow the testimony of Terri-Lynn McClintic’s past.
Then the tweets started talking about April 8th, 2009; the day Victoria Stafford was sexually assaulted and murdered. My heart started to race due to the fact that the posts from the media were so detailed that one could visualize the whole scenario that took place that fateful day.
Ironically, the audio faded in and out in the overflow room preventing reporters from hearing intricate parts of the initial kidnapping. I almost thought it was a sign for the media to put away the technology and let the story be told inside the courthouse without an online football-esque play by-play.
After the break, the audio worked better as the McClintic’s tale moved towards the unimaginable. Cynthia Mulligan from City Television posted the following:
At that moment, a surge of emotion washed over me as I recalled the innocence of my children and all of the other children who I have been blessed to know. I panicked as I felt that it was my responsibility to protect Tori’s dignity. I felt that I had to stop her final hour being exposed.
I wrote on my status update “Please stop typing. Please give this girl a little dignity.”
I hit delete and wrote it again. Then I recanted and once again deleted my post thinking who would listen anyway? Twitter is a platform where notoriety is formed, prosperity is bragged about, and narcissism takes no prisoners. Today, it included a little girl who had no chance on that fateful spring afternoon in April.
I decided to minimize my tweetdeck and return to work. About fifteen minutes passed and I returned to Tweetdeck for an update as I do on a daily basis with or without a murder trial. It was then I saw it…..I saw something that I will not post on my blog due to the fact that I want to preserve the dignity of this little girl. I saw it and I threw up.
I could not believe that the media would stoop to that level. I was stupefied that I would see those details online. I was appalled! It wasn’t just Cynthia Mulligan reporting the details either. It was every media outlet including CBC, CTV, London Free Press and AM 980….Tori Stafford’s last hour was a buffet for all media outlets to publicize and in real-time.
That was it for me, I closed Twitter down for the day. However, unbeknownst to me, my daughter and several of her friends read the “online” transcript. We talked a bit about this new form of publication and I questioned how many other “monsters” read this and fed off this grotesque form of media reporting.
What about Daryn? Tori’s tween sibling? Did the media think of him and his ability to tune into technology. Really! Did it have to be THAT detailed? It simply angers me.
I think this first time the media has felt obliged to report extreme inhumane details on Twitter. It brings a new light to the phrase “Think before you tweet”! The 6 o’clock summary of the day and minute details of the case is all that the public needs to hear.
God Bless the Media….God Bless little Tori Stafford…and God Bless the McDonald/Stafford Family.
Nothing good can come out of this!