But if we must look at things objectively, this photo is indeed a visual of the war and all its hard truths. This particular photo isn't shock journalism. It's the reality of war and journalists have an obligation to report the uncensored truth to the public. At the same time, the public has a right to know what our soldiers are facing in the service of our country.
NB C-notes
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From the WaPo:
NEW YORK -- The Society of Professional Journalists condemned NBC News for
practicing "checkbook journalism" by chartering a jet that carrie...
14 years ago
8 comments:
i also think that the ap has an obligation to show the public all the images of the war, even if it is ,a sadly graphic vision of a fallen soldier.i think robert gates may be concerned with the publics image as much as he is with the families concerns.
Applying the "Potter's" rule, I would say it's okay to publish these images considering that much as there may be public concerns about the effect of the images on the families the images also present a sense of imperical evidence of the reality of the war and the death of soldiers involved which raises awareness of the consequences of the war to the public.
I don't think the photographer could have done anything in this instance to save the soldier. There were fellow soldiers already helping him so really the only thing to do was try and stay safe herself and then take pictures. Not being a photographer, I don't think I could take pictures like that because they are too gruesome. But if that was her job and there was nothing else that could be done then take the pictures and publish. It may not stop that war or any subsequent ones because war seems to be a fact of life. However, it will help show the realities of it for those that glorify it.
Having read the entire article before viewing any of the accompanying photographs, I was expecting something far more graphic than what I eventually observed. The particular photo at the heart of this discussion was taken from a distance and displayed in the context of a series of war photos.
Seeing an injured soldier in battle saddened me, but did not surprise or horrify me.
It was certainly less offensive than the gore that the entertainment industry serves up on a regular basis at movie theatres, and served as a reminder of what is going on in Afghanistan and other places every day to preserve and protect our liberty.
I do agree with Steven's point of view.
I think these war photos should be made public. We read about war stories and about soldiers dying almost everyday. These photos show the public how our soldiers are committed to protecting us and how they risk their lives everyday.
I also agree that the photo of Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard should be published. We discussed in class the far distance which the photo was taken and I would also publish more graphic photos (online only) with an option to view or not. I would do this because I believe war related pictures capture the pathos of those fighting and representing their country. Seeing such a picture arouses a level of emotion that I could not incur if only reading an article and thus I feel the picture allows me to respect the situation of war and those involved with greater clarity.
I agree. Although the photo is sad, it is not gratuitously violent or gory. Depicting the realities of war is important in order to underscore the real toll that our soldiers are suffering.
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