OK, ABC, the hunt for patient zero was over the line

[MindPilot]

Just watching Nightline...they did a piece where a reporter went looking for the friends and family of a 39-year-old Mexican woman said to be "patient zero". She died from pneumonia after catching swine flu.

The reporters were banging on doors and trying to talk to members of her family like she was some kind of criminal. They went to where she used to work.

Imagine if a Telemundo crew showed up at your house and through an interpreter badgered you about your sister's bother in law who got sick and died.

The piece was presented as if the first one to die in the pandemic is responsible for the pandemic.

Did anyone else see that and think it was horribly insensitive or was it just me?

edited to add -- they gave her name and clearly showed the address of the places they went.

[Suich]

1. No, it wasn't just you.

Pretty ridiculous, imo.

[DainBramaged]

2. And I was castigated for blaming the MSM..................

[TorchTheWitch]

3. it certainly was over the top

and terribly incensative.

I saw the piece, too. Couldn't believe how damn rude and incensative they were to the memory of this poor woman and her family. They could have easily done an interesting "search for patient zero" without abusing this woman's memory, family and former workplace. I was appalled by that.

[Snazzy]

4. did they buzz her house with AF1?

yeah sorry....

:hippie:

(edit to say--no didn't see and yeah sounds creepy. I shouldn't make snark 'cause I always want to qualify. And was she case zero? Does it matter?)

[saltpoint]

5. I haven't been following the influenza updates on ABC but if that is

how they went about their coverage they should be ashamed of themselves.

[NorthernSpy]

6. I agree.

That kind of "reporting" is abusive and hysterical. It's certainly not informative.