The tragic massacre at a Thai nursery caused another image crisis for CNN. Two reporters from the American broadcaster were accused of breaking into the scene and taking graphic images of the victims’ blood.
Material by Australian reporter Anna Coren and British cameraman Daniel Hodge has since been taken down, and both have apologized to the Thai public.
Despite this, the Thai government has decided to deport two professionals who only hold tourist visas and are therefore unable to work in the country, according to Thai PBS World news agency.
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CNN criticized for broadcasting attack in Thailand
Last week, a former police officer broke into a daycare center in Uthai Sawan, Thailand, and killed 38 people, including his own son and 25 other children.
Considered the largest shooting attack in the country, the case received immediate worldwide attention due to the seriousness of the crime and the young age of the victims.
The day after the massacre, CNN’s reporters in Thailand, reporter Anna Coren and cameraman Daniel Hodge went to the kindergarten to follow up on developments and the police investigation.
What should have been another piece of news about the attack on the American network has turned into an avalanche of criticism and questions about journalistic behavior in such sensitive situations.
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The duo’s story used images of the victims’ blood in the hallways of the building. As the daycare was segregated as a crime scene, an investigation was launched by the Thai police to find out how CNN journalists had entered the scene.
Authorities began investigating police station personnel after a photo shared on social media showed journalists climbing the wall in front of the nursery and breaking the police tape.
Visa revoked for CNN’s Anna Coren https://t.co/AQpWasiCeI pic.twitter.com/4b9S7cXKv6
— TV Tonight Australia (@tvtonightau) 10 October 2022
Thai media outlets harshly criticized the attitude of journalists, stating that the site was inaccessible to the press, including the country’s press.
In addition to the attack, criticism also focused on the graphic content displayed and the quality of the story:
“Members of the Thai Foreign Correspondents Association are appalled by CNN’s recent coverage of the mass murder at a day care center in Nong Bua Lamphu.
A CNN crew broke into a clearly demarcated crime scene – no matter what they claim.
It was unprofessional and a serious violation of journalistic ethics in criminal reporting.”
The association also stressed that the country is “traumatized by this tragedy” and that all local media are concerned that “inappropriate images will not be spread”.
“CNN has to answer a simple question. Would one of your crews behave the same way at a crime scene like this in the United States?”
Our statement on the CNN coverage of the mass killing
in Nong Bua Lamphu ##กราดยิงหนองบัวลําภู: pic.twitter.com/fT9YcBOvrU— FCCThai (@FCCThai) October 8, 2022
CNN spoke, journalists apologized
CNN said in a statement that it justified the viral footage of journalists breaking the police barrier at the day care center in Thailand and said the crime scene recording was not in place when they entered the building.
“The team has requested permission from the Thai Ministry of Health officials to enter the nursery. Now they understand that these employees are not authorized to grant this leave.
If the team realized that the building was forbidden [para a imprensa]they would not enter. It was never designed to break any rules.”
The network also deeply regretted “any hardship or offense” the report may have caused, claiming that staff entered the nursery “to get a more complete impression of what was happening inside and to humanize the scale of the tragedy”.
— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) 9 October 2022
The Thai Journalists Association questioned the reasoning given by the American publisher, stating that even if professionals were authorized to access the site, they “must use their judgment” as to the necessity of it.
“The footage transmitted by CNN contained graphic material with no overt public interest,” criticized the association.
Surachate Hakparn, deputy chief of Thailand’s national police, told reporters on Sunday that CNN journalists did not deliberately enter. However, they were fined for working in the country on a tourist visa.
According to sources heard by Thai news agency PBS World, the professionals will be deported but not on the country’s “black list”. This will allow them to return to Thailand provided they obtain the appropriate visa.
The repercussions of the case caused Anna Coren and cameraman Daniel Hodge to record a video apologizing for what happened.
“I want to offer my deepest apologies to the Thai people, especially to the families of the victims of this tragedy,” Anna said. “We’re so sorry if we’ve caused you more pain and suffering, it was never our intention.”
Hodge also expressed regret for “the extra pain we have caused during this traumatic event”.
The CNN crew, including 47-year-old Australian reporter Anna Coren and 34-year-old British cameraman Daniel Hodge, apologized to the Thai people and the country for reporting on the mass murder at the nursery in Thailand’s Nong Bua Lamphu province.#DaycareAttack #กราดยิงหนองบัวลำภู pic.twitter.com/PLz2TekSY5
— Thai Nation (@Thenationth) 10 October 2022
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source: Noticias
