The Strange and Disturbing Tale of Raoul Moat, Sky News and Modern Morality

So there we were, myself and my girlfriend, sat in front of the TV on a Friday night with a tub of ice cream and some cider, planning to stick on a film and probably fall asleep with it on. But then, just as we were getting up to put on Sherlock Holmes, a banner popped up on the bottom of the screen over the Simpsons (we were watching Sky One). The banner said; "Raoul Moat surrounded by police. Switch to Sky News Channel 501 for more details".

"Oh," we thought "switch over just to see what's going on and then we will watch the film." An hour later, we were still watching but we managed to tear ourselves away, only looking again before going to bed at midnight. However, that hour said all that needed to be said for the state of modern morality that we all adhere to.

All the "news" consisted of was repeated shots (so to speak) of some footage caught from apparently up a tree by Sky News cameramen, showing the police negotiators and continued live footage of the barricade put up at the end of the road the incident was occurring on. Occasionally, the reporter would step in front of the camera to tell us the same information we had heard time and time again over the last week.

After a while, it became clear that all Sky News (and indeed, all the news outlets) wanted was the 'money shot' of Moat holding the shotgun to his neck. This was clear by the way the cameramen who caught the footage of the negotiating team kept panning left to where Moat was, thankfully covered by trees from the vantage point of the camera. This isn't the concern as this is the way the news operates, it wants to get the most shocking shot.

The main concern was that the vast majority of people, myself included, was just watching, hoping to see a man end his life, live on TV. There was no other reason for watching this 'news'. It was pure voyeurism and rubber-necking.

A final point, a quick look on the BBC News website offers you a video entitled "The moment gunman stand-off ends", in perhaps the most disturbing title ever. For the sake of Moat, a murderer but still a human being, don't watch it.