U.S. First Lady Urges Media Restaint on 9/11

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 09, 2002

U.S. First Lady Urges Media Restaint on 9/11

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U.U. First lady Laura Bush says television networks should show restraint this week when broadcasting images of last year's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center because the trauma is still "so raw" for most Americans, particularly children.

She also advises parents to shield youngsters from the graphic scenes by either turning off the TV or taking young children out of the room.

"It'll be a very emotional time. It's already starting to be," Bush said in an interview with USA TODAY. "There's already been a lot of television coverage and newspaper stories about the day. I think it will be several weeks of a very emotional time for all of us.

"People need to be very careful about making sure their children don't see it so often and certainly make sure younger children don't watch it at all," she said. "A lot of children will be confused with it and think it is current."

The first lady said it's important for the nation to experience "a time of remembrance ... and mourning" for the almost 3,000 people killed last Sept. 11. She accompanies President Bush on Wednesday when he visits Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon and the crash site of United Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pa.

All the major television networks plan daylong coverage of the anniversary Wednesday. Bush says they should limit showing particularly vivid images, such as the hijacked jets crashing into the World Trade Center and the collapse of the twin towers, scenes shown repeatedly a year ago.

"I think they should. I hope they will," she said. "I mean, not just show it over and over and over."

At the least, Bush suggested that network anchors "warn their viewing audience before they show something, so parents can turn the television off or walk out of the room with their children."

Source: Agencies

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