To Publish or Not Article

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Publish or Not to Publish?

One of the recurring ethical dilemmas in journalism is whether or not to publish photographs that may be considered offensive to some portion of the public, may promote the goal of a person who committed an offense, or that are extremely violent or graphic. This dilemma has recently recurred in debate surrounding the printing or distribution of photographs or videotapes that show the death of Joshua Bernard and the beheading of James Foley by the terrorist organization, Isis. Many people feel that distributing these photos is disrespectful, not only to the victims, but also to their family members. They believe that the victims deserve to be remembered in life and not reduced to a victim status. Other people worry that distributing images of something like a soldier's death or a beheadings will actually promote hostile goals, by encouraging fear in the population. While those concerns are valid, they are insufficient to merit a conclusion that the images should not be shown. Moreover, they ignore the role of the press in a free society. The job of the press is to report the news and to provide as much information as possible to the public.

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One of the most emotional arguments is that it is disrespectful to victims and their families to show images of them being killed or after having been brutalized. This argument is appealing because almost everyone can empathize with the victims or their families. However, reporting the news is not and should not be dependent upon the emotional impact of that news on a few individuals. Images of Joshua Bernard's death are a critical part of the news cycle. It is far too easy for people in the United States to ignore the reality of war and the fact that real people are dying in Afghanistan. Instead, when people in the U.S. do see images of dead soldiers, they are tidy images of bodies in caskets, or photos of the young men and women while they were alive. Ironically, the footage of his death brings the reality of the war to life in a way that nothing else could. As a result, it would be irresponsible….....

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"To Publish Or Not" (2014, October 15) Retrieved May 19, 2025, from
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