Nurse involved in Royal prank call commits suicide.

[Claddagh]

It is so tragic. :( My prayers go out to her family.

[StarrieEyedKat]

The fact of the matter is that this isn't the first time, in the UK or elsewhere, that one of these stupid, shock-jock type of prank calls has gone horribly awry, here or elsewhere. I find most of them to be very mean-spirited and usually not even funny, and for the DJs in question to follow the prank up by mocking this woman on the air is really cruel.

Pretty much this. I feel like popular DJs are given an incredible amount of support to be absolutely horrible to people. I realize these two had no idea their little stunt would result in this, but listening to them mock the nurse(s) after they pulled it off was sickening. Smug, condescending, and self congratulatory, to say the least.

[bionicmlle]

I was so saddened to hear about this -- that poor woman must have FELT the shame of a nation on her shoulders -- even if not realistic, I can see if I was the one in that situation, that it would be easy to catastrophize.

As for the Duke and Duchess, I imagine they are heartsick about this, as well. I would guess that Kate is bewildered by the reaction to a media snafu but in my mind the stronger reaction perhaps could be from William. Another press-fueled death so close to him, right around the time his wife is again the focus of attention. He must be furious, frightened and confused - WTF to do in order to move forward keeping his wife, his baby and the people around him safe?

[Convicted Blossom]

I was so saddened to hear about this -- that poor woman must have FELT the shame of a nation on her shoulders -- even if not realistic, I can see if I was the one in that situation, that it would be easy to catastrophize.

As for the Duke and Duchess, I imagine they are heartsick about this, as well. I would guess that Kate is bewildered by the reaction to a media snafu but in my mind the stronger reaction perhaps could be from William. Another press-fueled death so close to him, right around the time his wife is again the focus of attention. He must be furious, frightened and confused - WTF to do in order to move forward keeping his wife, his baby and the people around him safe?

I cannot imagine how William is feeling. He was 15? when his mother died and here we are 15 years later with this. He's 30 years old, just a young man, and he needs to make sense of all of this and Kate must be feeling not only physically dreadful but emotionally depleted.

[OkToBeTakei]

Radio Station.

Speaking at a news conference in Melbourne, Rhys Holleran, CEO of 2Day FM's parent company Southern Cross Austereo said the "shocked and devastated" DJs had been offered help dealing with the tragedy.

He said: "This is a tragic event that could not have been reasonably foreseen and we're deeply saddened by it.

"I spoke to both presenters early this morning and it's fair to say they're completely shattered.

"These people aren't machines, they're human beings. We're all affected by this."

Holleran would not say who came up with the idea for the call, only that "these things are often done collaboratively".

He said 2Day FM would work with authorities, but was confident the station hadn't broken any laws, noting that prank calls in radio have been happening "for decades".

"They're not just part of one radio station or one network or one country - they're done worldwide," he said

Oh well no laws were broken. These things happen all over the world. That just makes it hunkydory.

[Guest Anonymous]

"These people aren't machines, they're human beings. We're all affected by this."

Irony, much?

I would guess that the legal situation is actually quite complex and could rumble on a good while longer. There may be no criminal charges to be brought, but lawyers on both sides will be no doubt be looking into civil issues.

I can't help feeling at some level for the presenters. They were so fucking arrogant that they were still tweeting about it long after they had 'apologised' on air. It must have completely rocked their worlds to be woken up to the news and be hustled off into hiding.

The CEO is just in complete arse-covering mode. I don't think it was coincidental that he finished his speech by saying something like "what has ended as a tragedy for us". The station thought they had a massive 'kerching' moment at the most expensive commercial advertising time of year and now they are fucked, and that is what seems to be really on his mind.

[meda]

Call me a cynic, but I doubt those DJ's feel particularly awful. I'm sure that they don't like the condemnation, and are probably worried about their jobs, but I bet at the same time they're wondering whether this will turn them into the next Howard Stern and Robyn. You kind of need to be a particular type of narcissist with little empathy to be a shock jock anyway, so I don't see them being all that fussed that a woman in a different country that they never met would kill herself after being on the receiving end of their antics. All publicity is good publicity, right?

[Lady_M]

This is so tragic.

My heart goes out to her and her family.

[moodygirl86]

I read about this just this morning. How tragic. This woman must have had other problems going on before this. I feel terrible for her family. :(

As for the two DJs, yes, what they did was stupid but they couldn't have known this would happen. It wasn't aimed at this woman personally, they would have tried the same prank on anyone who took the call. I think the public backlash they are going to face will be punishment enough.

[ukool23]

Just goes to show what guilt can cause a person to do.

[docmom]

These prank calls are why I don't listent to any morning radio now except NPR (oh, and Family Radio for its Creation Science moments- funniest part of my day). I don't think calling people for the express purpose of humiliating them is at all funny (and I include liberal hosts calling conservatives in that statement). I wonder if this incident will put a stop to this, but I doubt it will.

[Guest Anonymous]

These prank calls are why I don't listent to any morning radio now except NPR (oh, and Family Radio for its Creation Science moments- funniest part of my day). I don't think calling people for the express purpose of humiliating them is at all funny (and I include liberal hosts calling conservatives in that statement). I wonder if this incident will put a stop to this, but I doubt it will.

I think it would need to have massive financial repercussions in order to put the frighteners on the radio stations. Kyle Fuckface or whoever it was at the same station who had a child 'confess' to being raped during an online stunt, has gone on to be quite successful and proud of himself. Some people don't feel shame or regret, they need rather to feel bankrupt before they stop and think.

[Witsec5]

Bumping this. Details from the suicide notes are emerging. She was upset at the treatment she received from higher level colleagues at the hospital. I knew it.

[JesusFightClub]

These prank calls are why I don't listent to any morning radio now except NPR (oh, and Family Radio for its Creation Science moments- funniest part of my day). I don't think calling people for the express purpose of humiliating them is at all funny (and I include liberal hosts calling conservatives in that statement). I wonder if this incident will put a stop to this, but I doubt it will.

So totally agree with this. Humiliating and shaming people isn't funny to me at all. Doesn't matter your politics. I don't mind the fash getting the shit beaten out of them (in fact I applaud this) but I would hate someone calling one of them up just to be all like "Ooh ha ha ha, I can expand my career at the cost of you." That's dishonest, taking it toe to toe in the streets isn't.

[Austin]

Agreed.

I agree, too. We can't possibly "know" what that sort of sudden, international notoriety feels like, unless we've experienced and I think it's safe to say that probably none of us has. I'm not saying she didn't have emotional issues, but I'm not willing to speculate on her prior mental health, either. She may have just had what my folks used to refer to as a more delicate constitution that was not able to handle the glare of the negative media spotlight.

And I think these sorts of "pranks" are in extremely poor taste. It's all well and good that they feel bad now, but it's a little late. I cannot stand Sarah Palin but thought what the Canadian radio show host did to her in pretending to be Nicolas Sarkozy pretty much sucked. There was already enough legitimate stuff to find fault with in Saran Palin.