We added the AP to our Wall of Shame here at War On Terror News when they published a picture of LCpl Bernard shortly after he died, against the expressed wishes of his family.
In her "moral dilemna" of choosing between attempting to save his life or capturing a potential Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of life seeping from a Hero's body, she chose her own glory and capturing images of the death she may have been able to help prevent, the death of a Marine who had helped keep her alive.
Wall of Shame: Pics of the AP Staff that Dishonored LCpl Bernard: Update 2: Comments from Supporters
Much to my dismay I read an article in the Stars & Stripes talking about the military in Afghanistan backing down again from taking a hard line stance against such photographs being taken in the future, "US military backs away from ban on photos of dead."
Shortly afterward, the Afghanistan regional command changed the rules that reporters and photographers are required to sign before being embedded with a unit. The amended rules stated: "Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action."
The AP photo was one factor in the change, said Maj. Virginia McCabe, a Bagram-based spokeswoman for Regional Command East.
Let me tell you, after reading what John Daniszewski, AP senior managing editor had to say,
"We are seeking the freedom to cover the war in Afghanistan and the armed forces so as to provide as much information as possible to the hundreds of millions of people who have a keen interest in developments in the conflict," Daniszewski said.
Sorry Mr. Daniszewski, your actions speak far louder than any words you have so far printed about our troops! The proof is in your paper, or the lack of stories is all the proof I need. This is so much BS, there are plenty of articles out there that we cover everyday here at War On Terror News, that you won't even think to publish. Why?? Most likely because they are not bloody enough, they aren't sensational enough for the likes of you!
YOU, Mr. Daniszewski, have created this response from the military based on your action! The action of printing one photograph that you were asked NOT to print.
You have gone beyond the pale when you made the decision to publish that photograph of LCpl Bernard. What galled me the most was the fact that you sent a reporter to the families house, he spoke with the father. The father was shown the photograph. The father requested that the photo not be published. YOU went ahead and published the photograph. Before you even had anyone speak to the family, your intention was to publish that photograph!
Members of the press, you really don't get it do you.....
Maya Alleruzzo, an AP photographer recently assigned to Afghanistan after working in Iraq, found she was prohibited from shooting pictures of damaged vehicles, wounded soldiers without their permission and soldiers who were killed in action.
"I felt like I was welcome to cover everything else but the war," she said.
You are not there to invade the privacy of our soldiers and that is exactly what you are doing by publishing photos without their permission! How dare you! You would be the first to scream foul play if the tables were turned!
"It's a unique situation when a reporter embeds," she {Maj. Virginia McCabe} said. "They are given unfettered access to our soldiers. And in doing so, they are going to see things they would not normally see."
Do you have ANY idea of the extra work and higher danger that exists for our troops when you decide to embed alongside them? Obviously not! Who do you think is responsible for your safety? Who do you think has to make sure they are not only doing their job but watching out for you, to make sure you don't overstep the rules? It is not like they have an extra guy or two loafing around waiting to babysit you on your embed!
Shortly after the AP distributed and published the photo of LCpl Bernard, the regional command in Afghanistan ammended the rules embedded media must follow to read: "Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action."
The Pentagon waffled when the news organizations protested the sudden change in the rules. Rather than backing the Afghanistan regional command to the hilt, they have told the field commanders that the amended rules were too restrictive.
By the end of the day Friday in Afghanistan, the military was still waiting to hear from the Pentagon just what changes were going to be allowed and how restrictive they could or could not be regarding "he photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action."
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression! Unfortunately the AP blew it with LCpl Bernard's family multiple times over.
For the rest of the story over at Stars and Stripes, here is the link to "US military backs away from ban on photos of dead."
Related articles:
Honoring Marine LCpl Joshua M. Bernard
Something Good from the AP's blood money decision
Marine Drill Instructor Sounds Off
Interview of LCpl Bernard's father John Bernard by Jim Bennett.
Editor's note: All portions of text highlighted in bold are excerted from the Stars and Stripes article linked above.
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