Exploitation of grief

An 8-year old boy and a 56-year old woman yesterday were tragically stabbed to death in the Swedish town Linköping. There is just no way you can imagine the grief and the sorrow that has struck these individuals’ families and close friends. When the two Swedish tabloids Expressen and Aftonbladet today had a photo of the boy on their posters, it is a hideous and extremely unnecessary exploitation of a tragic incident. This is stepping so far over the line that I can’t even express what I’m feeling. Why the boy and not the woman? Why a photo at all? These are the victims, not the perpetrator (who of course hasn’t been caught yet). As a father of two small children I urge media to protect our children and I wish no-one would buy these papers today.