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Friday,
April 2, 2004 |
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Disturbing
images not out of line
Pictures
of bodies necessary to show harsh reality
The
decision of many newspapers and broadcasters to show the
graphic images of four Americans who were killed in Fallujah,
just west of Baghdad, have caused distress among patrons
who found the pictures too disturbing.
Most of the news sources in question, such as CBS Evening
News, warned its audience that the images might be troubling.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram even put an explanation next
to the picture of a charred body hanging from a bridge,
detailing its reasons for why it was necessary to convey
such images.
Though these pictures are admittedly gruesome, they do
effectively communicate the reality of what’s actually
going on in Iraq. Soldiers and civilians are dying almost
daily, and news coverage hardly relates the gravity of
the situation. It is too easy to simply turn the channel
when we hear a news anchor read out the newest casualties.
In-depth coverage of the Vietnam War greatly affected
American public opinion. What were just numbers and names
on paper became fathers, brothers and sons on everyone’s
television. The faces of those who gave their lives for
their country could no longer be ignored.
Supporters of the war might be worried that these images
will turn public opinion against a continued U.S. presence
in Iraq. While this is possible, it would be wrong to
keep the images out of U.S. media. A lie of omission is
still a lie, and Americans deserve to know and see the
whole truth.
Mass media cannot be blamed for what is happening in Iraq,
especially when they are warning their viewers about possibly
disturbing images. We at the Skiff applaud their efforts
to bring more complete coverage to the American people.
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