Guardian angels for the victims

 
Column In the incest drama in Amstetten, the media are once again called upon to do double duty, as eye-openers and as protectors of other potential victims. 
Journalists have traveled from all over the world to report directly from Amstetten on the incest case. With their own people on the ground, the media are treating the event as a catastrophe, as a sensation. In addition to the official information, however, they should also offer exclusivity. In the Amstetten case, these were always the same pictures of the perpetrator's home and the small town. Passers-by and relatives were allowed to express their horror and ignorance, officials testified to their correct actions over the years and numerous experts offered their explanations. The media play different roles at the same time: they offer a forum for collective coping by telling and interpreting, they satisfy sensationalism, they inform and sensitize, and they condemn the perpetrators to protect the victims, not only those of today, but also those of the future. In the delicate balancing act between journalistic ethics and calculated business, however, the former is unfortunately too quickly forgotten in favor of the latter.
In the long term, no one can withstand the onslaught of the media, Natascha Kampusch states. In the eight years she spent in a cellar, she not only had the energy to survive, she also managed to develop her personality in such a way that she was able to face the media with great aplomb. Shortly after her liberation, she satisfied her hunger for sensation with television interviews. For the most part, she was able to satisfy her hunger, although speculation continues and confidential information occasionally leaks out, even from police files.
Natascha Kampusch's offensive approach to the media proved to be very successful. However, it cannot be concluded from this that this approach is always the best. There should be an intensive discussion in the editorial offices about how humiliating it is for the victims to be put on display. The imperative of dignity demands that self-determination be guaranteed in the new freedom, because every fate is unique. Natascha Kampusch's recipe for success cannot simply be transferred. Above all, the media must respect this.
Natascha Kampusch deliberately made the subject of sex taboo. This proved to be very wise. Moral indignation and caring sympathy quickly turn into voyeurism when the reporting goes into detail. The pornography business thrives to a large extent on the careful painting of tortures that are supposed to give pleasure not only to the perpetrators but also to the victims. In the generally accessible media, too, taboo boundaries in this regard have fallen massively: not an evening of television goes by without explicit scenes being shown while zapping. Reality and fiction are becoming blurred. The media have an opportunity here to protect the victims by taking their intimacy and integrity seriously from now on.
In Amstetten, journalists are said to have searched for pictures with a checkbook in their hands. It is said that over a million dollars was offered for recent photos of the family members. So far, the authorities have apparently been able to ensure the shielding with targeted information. The victims' caregivers provided text material for the media reports with descriptions of events and impressions. With statements about the outward appearance of the victims, about the way they communicate with each other and about the joy of the youngest during his first car journey, they found a good balance between shielding and information. With a little skill, the responsible authorities can protect the family for a while, even against those media who see this case primarily as an attractive follow-up story and want to be constantly fed with morsels worthy of publication.
However, the officials of the authorities confronted with the family will have to put up with persistent investigations. So far, they have reacted quickly and answered questions. The "good impression" of the "handsome man" did not give rise to any suspicion. That certainly corresponds to their perception. The shock is therefore all the greater when evil doesn't look quite like we imagined it in our childhood dreams. Unfortunately, it does not have a grimace, horns or a tail, thanks to which Satan and his minions were easily recognizable. Even the good guys don't walk around with a halo. Nevertheless, the media must remain unyielding and tough on the authorities, but they must be true guardian angels to protect the victims, neither allowing nor causing further injuries.
Josefa Haas is Head of the Media Institute