Have ethics completely disappeared?

On Saturday, Palmer High School hosted the ASAA (Alaska Schools Activities Association) State Cross Country Championships. About 400 eager athletes ran the 5-kilometer course, several hundred spectators and coaches watched and cheered them on, and there were several course records set.

The last race of the day featured an athlete who was trying to repeat as champion but didn’t succeed. She had been sick last week and, in attempting the repeat, her body was overtaxed and she collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line. Medical personnel were on hand to tend to her and emergency services were requested when it became apparent she was having some trouble. Medics arrived a short time later, her coaches were on hand, and her parents were there as well. She was being taken care of, though medically fragile, while awaiting the ambulance.

The vast majority of spectators and athletes retired to the gymnasium for the awards ceremony while the small entourage caring for the stricken runner remained outside. A photographer also remained outside. Matt Dinneen, a photographer out of the Anchorage Bureau of The Associated Press, snapped picture after picture of the runner and her parents. At one point an official from ASAA escorted the photographer away from the scene; the runner’s father had made the request, obviously not wanting their concern spread across any media outlets. Mr. Dinneen, perhaps, should never have been allowed so close or been removed earlier, but the first priority was the athlete.

Then at the father’s request, Mr. Dinneen was asked to not post the photos but, in fact, to delete them from the memory card of the digital camera. He indicated he was unwilling to do that, citing his rights under the First Amendment. The ASAA official pointed out that there must be a multitude of shots of runners who had competed in this, the state meet. Mr. Dinneen responded that the pictures of this athlete on the ground were a bigger story than any of the ones from the other finishers of the day. Wow!

Have we sunk so low in our human development that common human decency gets brushed aside in favor of getting a fast buck? Here was a father who made a plea for privacy for his family; no one knew at that time how things would turn out. I am imagining myself in a situation like that father found himself in. I am having trouble imagining how another human being could be so callous as to place a picture, a story, above compassion for this dad.

If it was a case of some criminal wanting their dignity protected I would not be so aghast. If this was a celebrity who craved the spotlight 24/7 I wouldn’t give it a second thought. However, this was a teenager, a high school student whose dream was not fulfilled because her body’s functions had other ideas. Perhaps I grew up several hundred years too late or, perhaps I am simply too naïve for my own good, but I thought we were better than this.

Mr. Dinneen has a constitutional right to his photos and to his story. I’ve already spoken to a number of journalists who agree that doing so is way beyond the bounds of good taste and journalistic ethics. It is my intention to contact Mr. Dinneen’s boss (Mr. Mark Thiessen / The Associated Press / 750 W. Second Ave., Ste. 102 / Anchorage, AK / 99501) to express my concern about the way Mr. Dinneen conducted himself and to ask that the photos in question be deleted.

If these photos are published anyway (and it is my understanding that they are on the AP wire — however that system works) I intend to do whatever is in my power not to allow Mr. Dinneen or anyone associated with the Alaska Bureau of The Associated Press at any further activities on the grounds of Palmer High School as long as I am the site administrator here. I urge you to share your feelings with either Mr. Thiessen if you think I’m on target, or with my boss (Dr. Susan McCauley / c/o Mat-Su Borough School District / 501 N. Gulkana Street / Palmer, AK / 99645) if you think I’m a whacko or out of touch with reality.

Wolfgang Winter is the principal at Palmer High School.