Robert Pickton Trial Begins
If you thought the evidence brought forward in the Paul Bernardo trial was sickening, you were wrong. Robert Pickton, the pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, B.C., is having 'his day in court' as we speak.
The National Post published the following disclaimer about how they intend to cover the trial which is estimated to take months.
Note to readers
The trial of Robert Pickton, accused of killing 26 Vancouver-area women at his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, is expected to be one of the most disturbing in Canadian history. The testimony about what is alleged to have happened to the women and the manner in which their bodies were disposed of will be extremely graphic and disturbing to many readers.
The media have a responsibility to report fully, fairly and accurately on a high-profile case such as this one, which has transfixed British Columbia, and indeed all of Canada, for many years. That responsibility includes publishing many of the graphic details of the testimony.
Over the course of the trial, the National Post will endeavour to provide coverage that fulfills our journalistic commitments in a way that is respectful of the sensitivities of our readers, mindful of the victims' families, and without falling into sensationalism.
We expect to have to make difficult decisions every day about what to report and what to downplay, what to describe in detail and what to write about in a more general manner. Stories containing disturbing details will begin with a warning to that effect. We urge you to exercise discretion and keep the stories that concern you out of the hands of your children.
Material that we think is not suitable for publication in the newspaper will appear in full on our Web site, www.nationalpost.com. The rationale is that reading on the web involves a conscious decision to read the story because of the need to first click on the headline.
Some readers will undoubtedly disagree with some of the decisions we make. We encourage you to let us know what you think by e-mailing us at picktontrial@nationalpost.com. Please indicate whether you would like your letter to be considered for publication as a letter to the editor.
A disclaimer like that is guaranteed to sell newspapers, but the truth is young people are going to be shocked and horrified when this trial gets underway, so parental discretion is the orer of the day.
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