A graduate of UW-Madison and investigative journalist, Jacob Kushner, critiqued reporters for their use of “disaster porn” in an interview with the Badger Herald.

He said reporters didn’t do the hard work necessary to provide full context during immediate reporting following big-impact events. Reporting on reactions or conducting brief interviews doesn’t let the reader know what contributed to the disasters, he said.

The Spectator editorial board debated whether or not “disaster porn” is an issue within modern media.

One member said that the answer would be yes, as much of answering questions is closely knit to understanding history and context.

Another said that “disaster porn” is what what citizens need to see.

Commenting on the pattern of news stories being released, a member said, “You don’t want to just make readers feel something, you want them to have the background and the information so they have the tools.”

When news is typically released by larger news companies such as the Associate Press, one member said, the stories are flushed out through the process of repeated informative coverage.

All in all, the editorial board voted 5-3 in favor of “disaster porn” being an issue in modern media.