Sexual Assault for Ratings?

[FantasyWitch]

http://cristinarad.blogspot.com/2011/05/lara-logan-talk-about-her-sexal-assault.html

Ok, I know some people will say she is brave for speaking out about this and for explaining what happened to her, and there is in NO WAY that I find what happened to her acceptable but I do find it sickening that she would have a 60 minute interview all about it because to me that screams "I'm doing this for the ratings!"

Fair enough she could turn something sickening that happened to her into something strong and something forceful, but I don't like the way it has been done.

Just a personal rant, I don't like this at all.

[thalassa]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

I don't think that anyone gets sexually assaulted for ratings and I think that when it happens to someones job is the news, it takes hella guts to do your job on yourself. 60 minutes isn't exactly the show you'd go on if you were trying to get ratings anyhow... I think she probably feels she is in a unique position to bring attention to the problem of sexual assault, and if that is the case, I honestly commend her for it.

[FantasyWitch]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

That is fair enough Thal, as I said it was just an opinion on my part. X

[thalassa]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

That is fair enough Thal, as I said it was just an opinion on my part. X

I'm not knocking it, I can see how someone would think that...I'm just thinking that the only people that watch 60 minutes are the mostly same people that watch Frontline and listen to NPR, lol. And, all things considered, if she *is* making the rounds for ratings, then at least she is bringing attention to it.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

I don't think that anyone gets sexually assaulted for ratings and I think that when it happens to someones job is the news, it takes hella guts to do your job on yourself. 60 minutes isn't exactly the show you'd go on if you were trying to get ratings anyhow... I think she probably feels she is in a unique position to bring attention to the problem of sexual assault, and if that is the case, I honestly commend her for it.

Agreed. I also see how it could appear that way, but yeah....60 Minutes doesn't have the broadest of audiences. I'd imagine if she just wanted to get ratings she'd do it on something with a lot more coverage.

[Roknrol]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

I don't think that anyone gets sexually assaulted for ratings ...

NSFW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItjFQ...has_verified=1

[OpenHands]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

http://cristinarad.blogspot.com/2011...l-assault.html

Ok, I know some people will say she is brave for speaking out about this and for explaining what happened to her, and there is in NO WAY that I find what happened to her acceptable but I do find it sickening that she would have a 60 minute interview all about it because to me that screams "I'm doing this for the ratings!"

It's a shame that we have to be so cynical these days because there are people who will manipulate for ratings. From what I understand though, sexual assault and harrassment among female journalists going into potentially hostile situations does happen and is believed to be underreported. My interpretation (which could very well be wrong) was that she was using her story to give a voice to a problem that other women have been unwilling or unable to talk about openly. I felt very bad for her when I saw the story come out and was glad to hear that she was going to talk about it, then move on.

[Medusa]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

http://cristinarad.blogspot.com/2011...l-assault.html

Ok, I know some people will say she is brave for speaking out about this and for explaining what happened to her, and there is in NO WAY that I find what happened to her acceptable but I do find it sickening that she would have a 60 minute interview all about it because to me that screams "I'm doing this for the ratings!"

Fair enough she could turn something sickening that happened to her into something strong and something forceful, but I don't like the way it has been done.

Just a personal rant, I don't like this at all.

Yeah. She should just be sexually assaulted in silence and go hide out. Because it's like what, 1951?

[Gardenia]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

Yeah, have to agree with the others. I don't think this is for ratings. I think she's putting light on a serious problem, and using her own story to do that. The idea that this sort of thing needs to be kept hush hush, than when a women speaks up about this that she's just attention seeking... well, it's a big part of the problem.

If I remember right, doesn't she actually explain all this herself? That she's speaking out to break the silence?

[thalassa]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

If I remember right, doesn't she actually explain all this herself? That she's speaking out to break the silence?

I didn't re-watch it before I posted, but I think she does....or I could be confusing it with the NPR interview that *I think* was her...

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

Years ago, back in the 1970's there was a rape case that fell apart on a technicality of what was and wasn't rape. The victim went public with details of what was done to her and frankly, it was horrific. It did a great deal though to teach the public at large that 'indecent assault' can be just as horrible, just as traumatising and deserves to be fully punished.

So in this particular case, I believe of course the journalist was right to speak out... but we also have to recognise that there are always people who 'get off' (is that the right phrase?) on the details of such things, no matter how horrible they are. And this of course is partly where our discomfort/unease comes in, because we know that there are two sides, the bravery of speaking up and the darkness that subverts it.

[FantasyWitch]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

I didn't mean she could keep quiet about it, quite the opposite, what I didn't like was how it was done.
Maybe it is because I am used to British style of interview but that seemed to be pushing her and being needlessly graphic. I'm glad she spoke out but I just didn't think it was done appropriately.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

I know what you mean, FW - and I think the two interview different styles (UK and US) certainly have something to do with it. In fairness we don't know what sort of reaction or support the journalist had, and perhaps if she felt the whole thing was being trivialised or swept under the carpet then that may have encouraged her to be more graphic in her account.

[thalassa]

Re: Sexual Assault for Ratings?

I think Mrs. P is probably right that it might be due to differences in reporting styles. Not that I have seen that many British news magazine formats...but the interview was pretty standard for what we see here both on TV and the radio. 60 minutes specifically isn't at all considered sensationalist here--its actually pretty conservative, but in-depth.