Petra Laszlo stepped completely outside of her journalistic lines when she decided to kick two refugee children, and trip an older man carrying a child. A flood of refugees looking to escape their violent regions were waiting at the border camp for the bus that leads to Hungary. There is just one bus, and many refugees are left behind worried about drastic actions from Hungarian police officers if they depart the camp. Refugees share they have no blankets, tents, and many struggle without food or water for days on end.
The bus trip to Hungary is to assist refugees in transporting to Austria and Germany; both countries have opened their arms to the war-weary refugees.
When the one and only bus left the camp, many grew worried and scared of not crossing the border, and facing another several days with little resources. Dozens broke from the camp and trekked across the border. Laszlo, a camerawoman for N1TV in Hungary, was there to video the break. Instead, she decided to cross a line and extend her leg out to trip an older man burdened with a heavy coat, bags, and holding a small child.
The man fell heavily on the child, who was seen crying after the incident. The man rose and was stopped by police, but he escaped the officer’s grasp and continued towards Hungary, with the small child running beside him, hand-in-hand.
To make escalations even worse, the media person began kicking at small children who were traveling alone, one child was a younger girl who was kicked across her legs as she tried to escape.
Regardless of opinion regarding acceptability or not of refugees, no one in the Western world, no one working, and going home to a shelter every night understands the plight of these families leaving an escalated, violent, region. They are shattered, divided and forced to send their children alone. Journalists should be held to the standards of reporting the news, and even deliver a strong opinion. But, to personally interfere and kick at young children, and an older man carrying a child? That is looking to cause significant harm, and has no place in journalism.
Shame on you Petra.
by: Paul Rivera