Globe liveblogs Toronto shooting

When a shooting occurred in a subway station in Toronto at 11 a.m. on Jan. 22, The Globe and Mail had a liveblog up by 12:21 p.m.

Using Cover It Live software, the Globe posted regular updates, photos, links,  and reader comments as the story developed. The liveblog closed out at 7:26 p.m.

Posts were mainly factual, “Entrance to the Osgood Station, roped off with Police tape. Image from CTV Toronto” or “Constable Wendy Drummond won’t give any more details in interview on CP 24. No condition update on the victim.”

But, the conversation also veered into concern about the practice of liveblogging a shooting and the immediate posting of victim photos.

Here’s a sample of a few posts:

1:17 Mathew Ingram:  Tom Toronto asked whether
live-blogging a shooting was “really appropriate” (sorry, Tom, your
question was inadvertently deleted and I can’t re-add it)

1:18 Mathew Ingram:  I think that’s a fair question — but I don’t see what we’re doing (or
trying to do) as any more or less inappropriate than reporting the
story the traditional way, or doing a live TV standup report, etc.

1:23 Christine Diemert:  We’ve just uploaded an image from the scene taken by Globe photographer Peter Power

1:30 [Comment From RJToronto]
I guess photos of the shooting victim may
impinge on his privacy rights … His family may not want to find out
this way. Otherwise, I love the new liveblogging interface.

1:32 Mathew Ingram:  Thanks, RJToronto — I agree that
seeing a family member’s face on the news might not be the best way to
find out that kind of thing.   As far as privacy rights are concerned,
the law makes an exception for photographs taken during a news event

1:33 [Comment From bmo]
I’d like to see some sort of text re: the photo. is this in fact the victim?

1:34 Mathew Ingram:  @bmo, according to the information we have that is the victim in the shooting, yes

1:34 [Comment From RJToronto]
I wasn’t passing comment on the legality of it, just the shock factor.