Whats the point of pixellating

[woodmally]

I recently on the Sheffield section raised a concern over the Sheffield Star not pixillating enough a refugee that wanted his identity hidden.

 

However I have always wondered what's the point of pixellating. If they want to keep a persons identity a secret why not avoid showing them all together.

 

You often see rape victims on TV where they change their voice have their back to us and in a darkened room. Yes I can see why their identity should remain hidden but why just not show them at all and read out a statement.

[Berberis]

I recently on the Sheffield section raised a concern over the Sheffield Star not pixillating enough a refugee that wanted his identity hidden.

 

However I have always wondered what's the point of pixellating. If they want to keep a persons identity a secret why not avoid showing them all together.

 

You often see rape victims on TV where they change their voice have their back to us and in a darkened room. Yes I can see why their identity should remain hidden but why just not show them at all and read out a statement.

 

Sometimes the choice not to be identified is not made until after the interview, so the interview has already been carried out and as there is no other footage, to pixelate is the best option.

[watchcoll]

Because you are watching TV, not listening to the radio. There still needs to be a graphic that either relates to or depicts an image that you (subconciously) expect to go with the sound. Otherwise the story would feel too wierd, or boring, and would not have the impact desired. News has to be captivating more than it is informative.

Google Galtung & Ruge's news values - still salient today & updated to reflect the impact of more recent technological advancements.

[Entrepupil]

Watchcoll makes a valid point, the media needs to be captivating in order to allow them to be influential.