Image of grieving mother sparks debate over privacy

The image was plastered over newspapers and TV screens: a motherfalling to her knees in grief as she learned her 15-year-old son had died after a Toronto school shooting.

The photograph and video offered a close-up of the anguish of losing a child, sparking discussion of whether such personal grief should be made public.

A family friend lashed out at media for their coverage of the shooting at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute that killed Jordan Manners Wednesday.He wasfound bleeding to death in the school hallway around 2:30 p.m.

In a scathing interview with CBC Newsworld, Atiba Ralph accused the media outlets of acting like the death was a reality show. "This is not a joke, man, this is people's lives here."

"You guys are like vultures around here. It's crazy," said Ralph.

Reporters had already gathered outside Sunnybrook Hospital when the boy's mother, Laureen Small, arrived. When she wastold of her son's death, she collapsed.

Some media experts wonder whether the images or video would have been publicized if Small came from a different neighbourhood, instead of the Jane and Finch area reputed for its violence.

"I have to ask the question, would we have shown the clip if it had been a white person? Would we have done this, intruding on someone's rights and privacy in that moment of grief?" said Nate Horowitz, dean of Centennial College's communications programs.

He admits the argument can be made that such images relay an important part of the story, but they make him extremely uncomfortable.

For Audette Sheppard, the TV footage brought back memories of her own son's shooting death in 2001.

She was troubled by the images, but says Small should have been asked whether she wanted her suffering to be made so public.

"You look at it one way, that maybe the impact of her suffering will probably be a catalyst to stop the perpetrators from doing stuff and seeing the mother's pain," said Sheppard.

But she argues the decision shouldn't be about the media's interest.

"Don't just show her at her lowest moment … That's very troubling for me," said Sheppard, who now leads the group United Mothers Opposing Violence Everywhere.

A day after the tragedy, Small did speak to media about her son's violent death and about how she was unable to make sense oflosing her child.