Should the Associated Press have published photo of dying Marine?

[Count of Montesano]

Over the weekend, the American Associated Press published a very controversial image of a mortally wounded Marine in Afghanistan. The AP did so despite the protests of both the Marine's family and the Secretary of Defense.

Truth be told, I'm torn on this. On one hand, I think it was very callous not to honor the wishes of the family. On the other, American news of the war is very sanitized. I watch the Canadian broadcasts from Vancouver B.C. every so often and see a lot more violence being shown from Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps it's about time that the average American stop paying exclusive attention to the Hoff and the idiots on American Idol and spend some time thinking about what the military is going through overseas.

Here's an article about the incident and the image itself:

In this Aug. 27 photo, Marine Lt. Jake Godby pays his respects to Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard during a memorial service at a forward operating base in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Bernard was mortally wounded during a Taliban ambush on Aug. 14. A photo of the ambush released by the AP has drawn criticism from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

(Julie Jacobson/AP) Enlarge Photos (1 of 1)
AP photo of dying Marine draws fire from Pentagon
By Matthew Shaer | 09.04.09
Print thisBuzz up!Email and shareRepublishGet e-mail alertsRSSDefense Secretary Robert Gates has condemned the Associated Press decision to release a photograph of a US Marine wounded during a battle in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan. The Marine, Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard of New Portland, Maine, was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in a Taliban ambush on Aug. 14. He later died of his wounds.

In the AP photograph, Bernard is pictured lying on his side on a sandy slope. The image is blurry, but Bernard appears to be bleeding; two other Marines stand over him, attending to his wounds. The caption, titled “Afghanistan Death of a Marine,” identifies the location as the village of Dahaneh. The photographer is Julie Jacobson, who also took the image at the top of this post. The AP reports that Bernard later died on the operating table at a nearby field hospital.

“AP journalists document world events every day. Afghanistan is no exception,” Santiago Lyon, the wire services’ director of photography, said in a statement. “We feel it is our journalistic duty to show the reality of the war there, however unpleasant and brutal that sometimes is.” In a story on the ambush, the AP reported that Bernard’s death came during the “deadliest month of the deadliest year since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

According to the AP, Bernard’s parents had twice asked the image not be released.

Fallout

“I cannot imagine the pain and suffering Lance Corporal Bernard’s death has caused his family,” Gates wrote in a letter to Thomas Curley, AP’s president and chief executive officer. “Why your organization would purposefully defy the family’s wishes knowing full well that it will lead to yet more anguish is beyond me. Your lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple American newspapers is appalling. The issue here is not law, policy or constitutional right – but judgment and common decency.”

The leader of the largest veterans association in the US has also criticized the AP’s decision, Reuters reports.

“The lack of compassion and common decency shown by the Associated Press in releasing this photograph is stunning,” said American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill, a retired Navy captain. “Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard is a hero who gave his life for his country. His family is understandably offended.”

And the image:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...ca-afghanistan

[Kjertesvein]

Yes, it's the only way to get a glimps of the actual reality their country men are going throu

[Central Asian Qaghan]

Yes they should. Its a war, and if the marines can bomb weddings, kill children at checkpoints or bomb civilians then by all means we can show the marines dying, dead or blow away. Fairs fair after all.

[Tajir]

Incredible how unpopular this topic has been so far.

The army personnel that I know never stop telling their horrors to me, they dont even take story breaks during parties. The photo is very important.

I would personally hate to be fighting a war and seeing my circumstances sugarcoated and made into hollywood movies without showing even a minute of my reality.

Good job AP, do what the television media can no longer provide for the public, truthiness.

[OTZ]

Yes they should. Its a war, and if the marines can bomb weddings, kill children at checkpoints or bomb civilians then by all means we can show the marines dying, dead or blow away. Fairs fair after all.

"Marines", or any other NATO military force for that matter "can't" bomb weddings, or kill children, or bomb civilians. They certainly have - but there's no mandate or rules of engagement that give them a free pass to kill non-combatants. I know I'm picking on your the words you used, but your motives for supporting the AP's decision are clearly betrayed by what you've written here.

Publishing pictures of dead American soldiers has nothing to do with fairness. I'm not entirely sure how you think this is an issue of fairness.

The American government is acting in its own interest when it cherry picks what news/media outlets say or report, and when it provides access to combat zones. This is an entirely logical position to take. Why sabotage your own efforts by allowing unfettered reporting of what actually happens during war? I can certainly understand why people feel that pictures such as this should be publicised - but it would be ridiculous for the US government to aqcuiesce. They have a war to wage, and controlling the public's exposure to it is a very critical component. I'm not saying it's right - however, it makes sense, and as I said, it's logical for them to keep the dirty laundry hidden from view.

[Count of Montesano]

"Marines", or any other NATO military force for that matter "can't" bomb weddings, or kill children, or bomb civilians. They certainly have - but there's no mandate or rules of engagement that give them a free pass to kill non-combatants. I know I'm picking on your the words you used, but your motives for supporting the AP's decision are clearly betrayed by what you've written here.

Publishing pictures of dead American soldiers has nothing to do with fairness. I'm not entirely sure how you think this is an issue of fairness.

The American government is acting in its own interest when it cherry picks what news/media outlets say or report, and when it provides access to combat zones. This is an entirely logical position to take. Why sabotage your own efforts by allowing unfettered reporting of what actually happens during war? I can certainly understand why people feel that pictures such as this should be publicised - but it would be ridiculous for the US government to aqcuiesce. They have a war to wage, and controlling the public's exposure to it is a very critical component. I'm not saying it's right - however, it makes sense, and as I said, it's logical for them to keep the dirty laundry hidden from view.

OTZ, you bring up a good point. The American government wants complete control to censor all news about the war. In fact, Secretary of Defense Gates has openly said he misses the good old days when the Bush administration ensured that even pictures of flag-draped coffins returning home would not be shown, and blames Obama for being too lax. Well, I can understand not letting reporters talk about troop movements or big offensives, but beyond that I don't want a lot of controls placed on the free press.

However, I will also point out that the AP has not run a lot of gory images of civilian casualties like Shahanshah has brought up. So maybe there is a double standard here where civilian deaths are not shown but American GI deaths are.

[Central Asian Qaghan]

"Marines", or any other NATO military force for that matter "can't" bomb weddings, or kill children, or bomb civilians. They certainly have - but there's no mandate or rules of engagement that give them a free pass to kill non-combatants.

Certainly does seem like it. When was the pilot who bombed weddings actually sorry for his crimes? He wasn't and no action taken.

I'm sorry but the AP have every right to take pictures of whatever they like. Considering the stuff that the NATO/US forces did in Iraq Abu Gharib, the AP shoudl be able to take pictures and report everything so that nothing like that ever happens again.