UPDATE #2: Temple replies to concerns raised about the editorial decision behind the tweets in New Tech Raises Taste Questions.
UPDATE: Rocky Mountain News publisher John Temple responds to funeral liveblog outrage.
I’m just trying to envision the exchange between the reporter and his editors over at the Rocky Mountain News that led to their decision to live blog the funeral today of Marten Kudlis, the 3-year old boy killed at an ice cream store last week. And you know what? Whatever their rationale, it’s inconceivable. Utterly, and unforgivingly, inconceivable.
For those of you who don’t know Twitter, it’s a social networking service designed mostly so pals can text easy and quick messages to each other — things like “What are you doing?” and “Hey, just saw the coolest shoes at the mall!” Some news organizations — including a few of us reporters over here at the Colorado Independent — have “tweeted,” the term for using Twitter, mostly political events as a fun, quirky way to get quick coverage up on our Websites.
And today, Rocky Mountain News reporter Berny Morson took the notion of Twitter to staggeringly low depths.
We can’t say much beyond reprinting Berny’s own words, as published on the Website of the Rocky Mountain News, while providing live coverage of Kudlis’ funeral. The little boy was killed last Thursday when Francis Hernandez, an illegal immigrant, crashed into a Baskin Robbins store in Aurora where the boy was waiting to get ice cream:
RMN_Berny: family members shovel earth into grave
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:40 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi calls end to ceremony
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:28 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi chanting final prayer in hebrew
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:27 a.m.
RMN_Berny: earth being placed on coffin.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:22 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi recites the main hebrew prayer of death
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:20 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi zucker praying
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:18 a.m.
RMN_Berny: coffin lowered into ground
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:18 a.m.
RMN_Berny: people gathering at graveside
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:14 a.m.
RMN_Berny: procession begins
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 11:01 a.m.
RMN_Berny: cars queueing up to follow hearse
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:59 a.m.
RMN_Berny: pallbearers carry out coffin followed by mourners.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:48 a.m.
RMN_Berny: people again are sobbing. rabbi again asks god to give
marten everlasting life.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:46 a.m.
RMN_Berny: video shows marten blowing out candles on birthday cake,
marten with dog. last images are of headlines.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:44 a.m.
RMN_Berny: video of marten is projected on screen.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:32 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi says marten is close to god now.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:31 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi says marten loved to be tickled. calls the death a
nightmare. no words can sooth us, he says.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:28 a.m.
RMN_Berny: family member says marten is with grandmother who died
last year. ‘ marten we loved you,’ he says. People sobbing.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:22 a.m.
RMN_Berny: family member remembers marten.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:20 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi says we will always remember marten and he will live
in our memory.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:18 a.m.
RMN_Berny: rabbi recites 23rd psalm.
Wednesday, Sep. 10, 10:16 a.m.
