“Put it on the front page.”
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This was the message from a grieving father the morning his son had been killed in a car crash.
Ben Paton, 20, was killed when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving.
He wasn’t wearing a seat belt.
There is a misconception in the community that media enjoy reporting on trauma. We don’t.
Because often, we too have experienced such trauma. For myself, I lost my grandmother in a horrific car crash involving a truck and a red light.
What we report is information we receive from the police and the family.
We published a photo of Ben’s car because his parents, Doug and Jenni, said to show the public everything.
They did so because they viewed their son’s death as preventable. And they don’t want another life wasted, as Doug said.
Our journalist, Sarah Aquilina, spent the afternoon with the family a few days following the crash.
She heard stories of Ben that brought both joy that he lived a great life, but also devastating sadness because his life, full of potential and love, was short-lived.
We tell the story of Ben and others before him because we don’t want others to follow.
We work with emergency services to promote road safety because they would rather be with their own family than having to knock on the door of a family whose world is about to be upended.
If you haven’t already, read the Patons’ tribute to Ben here. Please listen and share the message from a family who wants their son’s death to save others.
And, the next time you hop in a car – make sure you have your seat belt on.
Until next week,
Courtney