ABSTRACT
Those who have performed some version of the death knock, and those in mourning who have been so approached, plus the millions of readers and viewers who have observed it, all have powerful, visceral responses to the practice. And those initial reactions are almost always negative. It strikes us as a ghoulish imposition on people who are suffering. However, this chapter argues that when it is done for the right reason, and with appropriate sensitivity, it is permissible, and even laudable, for journalists to contact those close to someone who has died. We offer two arguments for this position grounded in two roles that we think journalism can, and should, play in a political community. First, journalism satisfies our curiosity about significant events. The circumstances and aftermath of the death of a human being are newsworthy, and we have a legitimate interest in knowing about them and coming to understand them. Second, as an avenue of representation for the interests of ordinary members of the public, journalism ought to strive to treat those who are involved in, and affected by, significant events as agents rather than passive victims. By facilitating friends and family in speaking for their loved ones, and, indeed, themselves, journalists give individuals ‘a voice’ they would not otherwise have.
