Credibility Roundtables: Fallujah Photos

APME National Credibility Roundtables Project

More Comments: Fallujah Photo Project

Other readers had these responses when asked if they would have run the photographs:

Kathy Bird, Chemung, N.Y.: "I would run the photos. A human is a human being no matter what their job title. This is the harsh reality of the news, of consequences, shows what happens when poor judgment is used in resolving any conflict be it war or domestic abuse. People choose to not look, thinking if they don't it isn't real, it doesn't affect them, yet it affects everyone, everywhere eventually. People need to come off from under their rocks."

Jeff Parks, Woodstock Valley, Conn.: "Yes. Truth."

James Bosnan, Washington, D.C.: "Yes. I would run the photos. I would not run them if I could see their faces."

Les Parkinson, Jacksonville, Fla.: "Yes. Exactly who are we protecting by not showing this photo? Soldiers and civilians die in war. Most people in our culture are removed from the consequences of war. Opinions for and against military action are freely trumpeted by so many who regard the action as if it were a video game."

Mark McAnaw, Woodbine, Ga.: "Yes. I believe it is a newsworthy picture! It doesn't matter if the bodies were civilian, military, foreign, or Iraqi, the picture shows the disregard these people have for anyone not following their beliefs."

Courtney Hernandez, Hinesville, Ga.: "There is no need to run these photos. As a military wife with a husband serving in Iraq, I could not imagine having to see photos like these of my husband. These images are not important to reporting what happened that day. This would sicken me as someone who does not know these men but let's consider how their families would feel."

Peggy Roland, Westminster, Md.: "Yes, I would run the photo. It's up to the reader/viewer whether or not to look at or scrutinize it. I prefer to be my own censor."

John McCauley, Finksburg, Md.: "No, I would not run the photo. The role of the news media is to report the news not to sensationalize it. Exploiting such pictures to 'sell the news' is cheap. The world news media was outraged when the U.S. showed pictures of Saddam Hussein's dead sons. Then why is it a good thing to show pictures of dead Americans? What purpose does it serve other than to create more hate? Is that what the world really needs or is it what the media needs to do to make money?"

Patricia Roop Robinson; Westminster, Md

Patricia Roop Robinson, Westminster, Md.: "My concern would be that for family members this could be the first knowledge of a loved one's death. Not to mention the horrific manner in which the loved one died. There would be flashbacks for years to come. Such a photo also only incites more anger; thus more deaths. On the other hand, I could argue that such brutality should not be swept under the rug. However, I am not sure it serves any purpose for it to be run nationwide."

Noel-Marie Taylor; Mount Airy, Md.

Noel-Marie Taylor, Mount Airy, Md.: "I would not run the photo. Certainly report the story, but the photograph is disturbing and unnecessary. It doesn't matter who the bodies are, or how recognizable -- this sort of photo isn't necessary. This is a tragedy, certainly, but the visuals are not necessary. They will only cause further pain to people."

Al Betz, Westminster, Md.: "Yes, I would run the photo. Our country is at war. In order to understand its full scope and in order for each citizen to evaluate in his or her own mind our reasons for our involvement, we need to see it all."

Stephen Jordan, Camden, Maine: "I would run the photo under any of the conditions noted above. Two reasons: 1) I believe the function of a news organization is to present the news without the filter of self censorship. 2) All the consequences of military action should be shown to prevent the idea that it is as sterile as a video game."

Ron Smith, Hope, Maine: "Yes. War has never been fought without killing and to not see the atrocities of it does nothing to help stop another one from starting. This photo should be viewed no differently than a mother kissing her baby. Both photos would be showing a current event. And for one to think that life is only mother kissing her baby and not bodies being burned or mutilated during war means that that person might be the next body to be burned. Life is not fantasy but reality."

Joe Edwards, Honolulu, Hawaii: "Yes, I would run the photo. For better or worse, the United States is fighting a war in Iraq and this photo presents that fight in its horrible reality. War is not pretty. It is not television or a movie. It's real and it's disgusting

and people need to be made aware of that. Too much of the American public is naive to that fact and maybe needs to wake up."

Diane Fritz; Titonka, Iowa

Diane Fritz, Titonka, Iowa: "Definitely not. News is important but some things we just don't need to see. I don't care who they were. It just shows how bloodthirsty people can get and glorifies their deaths for the perpetrators. Like some kind of trophy."

Roger Engebretson, Thornton, Iowa: "No, I would not run the pictures. They serve no purpose here in this country and there is no reason to have the families and friends of the individuals included to be faced with seeing their loved ones."

Kathy Douglass; Nora Springs, Iowa

Kathy Douglass, Nora Springs, Iowa: "I feel this particular photo is appropriate and newsworthy. The bodies being that of soldiers or civilians makes no difference to me. The focus of this image is the crowd, not the bodies. The mob is more visually disturbing to me than the hanging bodies."

Mike Doyle; Belvidere, Ill.

Mike Doyle, Belvidere, Ill.: "I am a former newspaper writer who now teaches high school journalism. I used the images from Iraq in my classes last Thursday when I asked students to discuss whether they would run the photos. In each class, the overwhelming response was to run them because of the news value. I did tell them that I would not run them if I was the editor. That decision would came after considerable thought, knowing the news value and that it was important for people to know what is happening to Americans there. I thought it was too graphic, too personal."

Cindy Lynn Ostergard; Rockford, Ill.

Cindy Lynn Ostergard, Rockford, Ill.: "Yes, in black and white on an inside page. It's difficult to see that they are human bodies and I think it is necessary for the American people to realize how much we are hated in some parts of the world. I would also have run it if the bodies were identifiable as bodies, but not if they were so clear to see that they could be identified by family or friends."

Steven Chorkawy, Lincoln Park, Mich.: "I would run it since the identities were not known. And it shows just what Saddam Hussein's supporters are really like. These people are from his home base area."

Holly Ristau, Mahnomen, Minn.: "No, I don't think it's necessary to see this brutality, especially if children have access to the photo."

Richard Bolton, Moorhead, Minn.: "On consideration, I would not run it, because running it is exactly what those thugs want American papers to do. A description of what those despicable people did, and a statement of why my paper chose not to help them in their publicity drive, is what I would run instead."

Ernie Schanilec, Vergas, Minn.: "Yes, I would run the photo. Terrorism and barbarism can be best understood by people, if they can see the true picture. Example: Hitler and the Holocaust."

Vicky Zuelly, New Albany, Ind.: "I think the American people need to see these pictures. "War is Hell" and it is never easy."

Royal Devaney, Waterville, Wash.: "No, I would not run the photo. I see no advantage to anyone by running the photo. I think it would benefit the people that did the crime."

Kristie Worthy, Tacoma, Wash.: "I think this photo should run. Americans have been shielded from such imagery in the past but to be truly informed we need to have such terrible images brought to our attention. These photos are already available and accessible via Internet and worldwide media outlets. Such pictures would be torture for family members but the reality of war is torturous."

Nicole Haugen Prom, San Jose, Calif. : "No. I think the American public is perfectly capable of understanding the extent of the violence without seeing such graphic and disturbing images. I think responsible journalists conveyed the horror without using the video or photos. Any journalist who felt they could not do the story justice by just describing it, is not very good at their job."

Stephen Hillis, Madras, Ore.: "I do not really need to see the photos to know what happened nor how horrible it was. Those photos belong in specialty magazines not the daily news."

Phil Hager, Bend, Ore.: "Yes, even if they were recognizable. It would make people more aware of the ravages of war."

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