The loathsome nature of the Daily Mail was once more available front and centre of its website today, showing a series of photographs of a heartbroken Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl arriving back in Los Angeles following the death of his bandmate and friend Taylor Hawkins. Why would they do this? Have they never suffered a bereavement of a loved one and understand how raw and visceral emotions can be? Are they able to compartmentalise someone else’s tragedy into a box marked ‘I don’t care about people’s feelings’ whilst retaining a semblance of their own emotions, too?
Not content with invading the privacy of desperately upset people, this ghastly news outlet majored on how Hawkins died, the details I don’t intend to repeat here, referring to Hawkins’s heart as his ‘ticker’, as if this was someone lightweight story to be filed alongside the ‘and finally’ story. Can’t these people have a little respect?
Of course, the answer to this is a resounding no. Whereas I see the musician’s death as a tragedy and I do understand the levels of public interest because of his stature as a great musician, the Mail employed five ‘journalists’ to write one story which, in my opinion, was a disgrace to to a disgraceful newspaper. Yes, I know ‘forensic experts’ have revealed significant details of how Taylor may have died and this speculation has fuelled on-line speculation. Furthermore, we know that in due course the full facts will emerge. But to me, this is a, first and foremost, a tragic story and secondly a story with which newspapers wish to sell additional copies.
I would rather the family wishes for privacy were respected and to extend that privacy to Hawkins’ close friends who anyone who has suffered a bereavement will know how awful they will be feeling.
Remember, the Daily Mail, and the other tabloids of hate, only exist because of people who buy them and the fact that the Mail, Britain’s best-selling newspaper, now sells less than 900,000 copies a day suggests people are beginning to vote with their feet.
in any event, saying that someone had X,Y and Z in their system doesn’t tell the full story. It doesn’t say why or how. And anyway, such a handsome, talented and still young man has died long before his time. It’s his family and friends are feel for. Some things are best left unsaid, at least for the time-being.
