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    • TMZ Liam Payne’s death photo causes pain and backlash
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    TMZ Liam Payne’s death photo causes pain and backlash

    Vaseline Posted on

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    People fall. Sometimes they get pushed, other times they get too close to the edge.

    Sometimes they jump.

    We don’t know what happened to Liam Payne other than he was on the balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires and then on the ground below. And at the age of 31 he is dead.

    The news broke late Wednesday, and like so many shocking celebrity revelations before it, many learned about it via gossip website TMZ. But fans who clicked on an alert, a tweet or even a link shared via text message were shocked to see a cropped image of Payne’s lifeless body, which was included alongside TMZ’s coverage of the One Direction singer’s death. The site later removed the image.

    However he died, we didn’t need to see any pictures.

    People were stunned by the graphic image, but maybe we weren’t. After all, this is the same outlet that was taunted by police at the scene of Kobe Bryant’s death, the outlet that garbled the news of Tom Petty’s death and shared the grainy, suspiciously obtained footage of Solange and Jay’s infamous elevator fight- Z. The Associated Press has standards when it comes to death reporting — guidelines for the rare occasions when it’s okay to include explicit images and details — or at least that’s the intention. But according to an early AP story, this night we know the sound made when his body hit the ground. They described it.

    Liam Payne’s family is in mourning One Direction star dies at 31: ‘Heartbroken’

    To what extent do we have the right to know the details when someone dies? What about if that person committed suicide instead of being killed by someone else? What if it was an accident or if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol?

    What if that person was famous?

    Do we have the right to know what singer Naomi Judd’s daughter told police when she found her mother after a suicide attempt? Judd later died, and her daughters sued to keep those conversations private.

    What if it was your mother?

    In 2012 it was mine.

    The day after my dear mother, a grandmother of eight years and a retired nurse, jumped into the Grand Canyon, I read about it in my hometown newspaper. It was under the Most Read tab on the newspaper’s home page: Woman Who Died at Canyon Id’d.

    We are taught that details are important in storytelling. An early journalism lesson: find the dog’s name. It helps you connect, care and even understand. But how much do we need to know? And if we know, how much should we share as media?

    I’ve thought about it a lot in the years since my mother died. I have interviewed psychologists and historians, professors and doctors.

    Many researchers and psychologists will say that destigmatizing suicide can lead to fewer deaths, that talking about it, writing about it, and making the discussion of mental health issues part of our conversation will help. Yet we’re talking about it more than ever, and the national suicide rate has risen steadily over the past two decades.

    Gen Z and millennials are devastated Liam Payne’s death hurts, even for those who weren’t One Direction fans

    The way we reported on suicide has evolved over the years: In the 19th century, deaths by suicide were treated as everyday occurrences, alongside reports of town meetings. Later, newspapers began reporting suicides with more judgment, describing it as a rash act. Then there were years when we didn’t write about it at all, as if no one died that way.

    Our reporting has continued to evolve and now we have guidelines from organizations that help journalists write about trauma and death.

    We find our way, often guided by smart voices.

    We do know that you are not allowed to take a photo of a body. But what about 911 tires? When does the public have a right to know? What is transparency to make our world safer? Payne’s girlfriend, singer Alessia Cara, called TMZ for the photos.

    Liam Payne’s preliminary cause of death revealed: Officials call ‘polytrauma’

    It may seem ironic that a journalist whose job is to gather the facts and post stories would question the withholding of information. Does the never-ending news cycle, alerts coming at all hours, and sharing information on social media before it’s verified create this culture where we think we have the right to know everything immediately?

    Should families receive information about the death of loved ones through the media? What if they are famous? Does living a public life negate their rights or our humanity?

    And I wonder whether, as a journalist, I contribute to that culture. Payne’s death hits hard for so many reasons. He was 31. He has a 7 year old, sisters and parents.

    We don’t have to add anything to it.

    If you or someone you know needs mental health help and support, please call or text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

    Laura Trujillo, USA TODAY editor-in-chief for Life & Entertainment, is the author of “Stepping Back From the Ledge: A Daughter’s Search for Truth and Renewal.”

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