To publish or not to publish !
That is the question... I personaly believe that these pics should be published..................
A furious Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has upbraided The Associated Press for its decision to publish a photograph of him after he was killed in Afghanistan.
Mr. Gates said that the news agency’s decision was “appalling” and that the issue was one not of constitutionality but of “judgment and common decency.”
The A.P. defended the decision, which editors said they made only after careful review and sharing the pictures with the family. In an explanation of its deliberations, The A.P. said it decided “to make public an image that conveys the grimness of war and the sacrifice of young men and women fighting it.”
The photograph in question was part of a package of articles and photographs about Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard, 21, of New Portland, Me., and his unit, which was ambushed in Afghanistan on Aug. 14. Before sending the package to its newspaper clients, The A.P. sent a reporter to Maine to talk with the man’s family. They did so out of respect, Michael Oreskes, The A.P.’s senior managing editor, said in an interview, not to ask permission to publish the pictures. But the father, John Bernard, a former Marine, asked The A.P. not to publish the picture, saying it would only hurt the family more.
In an advisory to clients, The A.P. said its articles and photographs “offered vivid insights into how the battle was fought, and into Bernard’s character and background.” After the articles and pictures had been distributed but before they were published, Mr. Gates called Mr. Curley to urge him to change his mind.
Source: NYT
the AP told the parents of the victim, not asked permission to post the pictures.
the main goal of posting the photos is to remember that on ink, it's just statistical numbers while when posting the photo, than it's more touching.
Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that.
but that doesn't justify splashing the image of someone's mortally wounded son, father, or brother across the front pages of newspapers without the permission of the family.
The war has been prolonged because they NEVER had a plan for what to do in the first place; because we shouldn't have been there in the first place. But you put my dead son's photo in the newspaper to sell papers and I sure as HELL am going to raise an HUGE stink about it. I suspect you would feel the same way if it were your son.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Let's agree to disagree.
I still believe that the fact that the government has "banned" the showing of bodies of the fallen soldiers being brought home has helped prolong the war.
In fact, they see much more of the reality of war now because of the times we live in than ever before.
I think you are exaggerating. And I don't think even if that were the case it would justifying transgressing these boundaries.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Wouldn't you agree that the Western public is shielded from the realities of war ?
We have seen from Vietnam and even Falklands that the publishing photographs is far more powerful a message than any write up.
and if you notice, it is more often the Arab newspapers that publish those violent, gory pictures. I believe they do so as a part of their political agenda but I still don't think it's right without the permission of the next of kin.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Why is it Ok to publish pictures of anyone else then? How about the kids and families that are being murdered in their own homes and country? Or is that Ok because they don't have family anymore?
~*Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret*~
I see Mr. Gates has his knickers in a twist..not that he could careless about the dead soldier or the feelings of the parents. He is just worried about public opinion which up till now has gone along with the Obama administration's policy in Afghanistan (which incidentally is not so different from Bush's).
Far from telling the truth, successive US administrations have lied to the public about the reasons for being in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The administration is absolutely horrified at anything that can expose the lies that underpin their justifications for the terrible destruction that has been inflicted on the populations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
in this website,,, have never seen a constructive criticism of facts and issues. so apologies for the harsh backlash.. everybody wants to be better than the other here.
PS: sorry for the hijack, just a message across.
When the family has said NO, the press must consider it....
right,,, publishing pictures is cruel enough punishment for the whole family, living up to the fact that the world along with others are gonna go up them and tell them that they have seen their son/daughter hanging by the wall.
PM.. its a fact that nobody is above anything. but why do you think most of the wars are fought?..
Regarding story getting twisted... my view point could be different from yours,, that is why the word "comment" is used.
peace.."-)
It is about publishing pictures of dead people without the permission of their family members -- regardless of nationality. It is a cruel and amoral thing to do in my opinion that can only intensify the pain of their loved ones. That goes for all victims of war.
No one is above anything. Don't get the story twisted.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
I feel for the parents, but I think the press has a right to publish these pictures.
its all about one officer,,,
nobody even wants to know how the agendas of nations have made life for the civilian victims whose pictures come everyday!
i guess it is just "human" nature to be the mightiest and to be above all other religion, race and sex.
to bring me to tears. :-(
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
the war (and even wait out his 2nd term when he was elected out of fear). I think as a Qatari you cannot imagine how agonizing it has been to me to see how many people have lost their lives paying for Bush's contemptuous folly trying to prove himself a man.
We can only affect things with our votes and even then we have to live with the results of who is elected until their term is over. I have never voted for a Republican in my life and yet members of my own family have had to put their lives on the line to fight his wars because they chose a military career out of a sense of duty and honor.
It grieves me deeply to imagine this 21 year old boy's death and the pain his parents will never get over.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Brit, The pictures are horrendous !
PM..
In the US you can do a lot. I think that a black SANE person taking office was a result of public awareness of the American negative role in the world crises.
There are plenty of images from the war already on the net which can be used to demonstrate the horrors of the war so AP may have let this one go in consideration of the family.
Anyways If I was told correctly by one of my journalist friends, Media had agreed to certain set of rules before the war started which also included that they will not publish any soldier's photo after his death without consideration of the family.
" Pele good, Maradona better, George BEST"
Two links..
The second is very interesting, but also contains the picture..
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/world/asia/05gates.html?ref=world
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/behind-13/
This is totally appalling. Such publications would definitely hurt further the feelings of the family. Only the parents know the pain deep in their hearts and the emptiness of the departed beloved ones. I agree with PM.
I agree they should be published.. just without faces.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
And frankly I don't even believe WE can end the bloodshed because most of us have NO impact on the warmakers -- even when we elect them. I do believe we can make our voice heard, though, and I have spent many years protesting senseless wars and violence, giving my time, voice and money to the cause. That taught me that there were serious limits to what WE can do when our politicians declare war.
And I am not saying that they should never publish a photo of war. But I think the media needs to secure permission of the family when the subject is identifiable (either by being recognizable or in a caption).
Do you have kids Brit? Can you imagine seeing your sons horrendous death splashed across the front pages? I can ... and I cannot support this.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
every picture, from conflicts everywhere.
Maybe then people would realize that conflict and war are not movies and computer games.
War is hell and death is commonplace. Should we ban all such pictures because they may cause distress to the families ?
I think not. The public is too protected against the harsh realities of war nowadays.
Surely , through facing the realities can we all come together to end this bloodshed.
If the family has requested not to publish the picture, then they shouldn't be published.
" Pele good, Maradona better, George BEST"
without the permission of the family. These kinds of photos are clearly meant to shock and events like this, and I believe the family should have the final say about whether the photo is to be used or not.
Poor parents.....
Could you give us the link please? I'd like to read the whole article.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM