Case Study 4

This week's case study asks readers to put themselves in the role of an editor. The assignment asks whether we would run this image, how we would run it and what we believe the consequences of running it would be.

Whether to run it
If I were the editor of a publication, I would choose to publish this photograph in a restricted way.

How would the following changes in circumstances affect your decision:
-Would you publish if the bodies were of American soldiers, rather than civilian workers?
This would not change my decision of publishing the photo.
-If the charred bodies could be recognized as human forms, not just as parts of corpses?
I would make the same decision since my method of publication has some yellow tape.
-If the bodies were not charred, but were visible as distinctive human beings?
If this were the case, I would make my warning in the print version descriptive of the photos online.
-If the face on one of the bodies was recognizable?
I would not publish the photo if this were the case. Family members of that person might not have known of the person's death before seeing the photo from my publication, and I believe news media outlets should not be the notifier of a loved one's death. Journalism's role is to provide truthful information, but that information is private and personal.
-If the bodies were not of Americans, but of Iraqis?
I would publish the photo in the same way I outlined below.
-If the bodies were not charred, but naked?
I don't believe I would publish the photo in this case.
-If the bodies were of women and children, not men?
I think I would still publish this photo again in a restricted way.

How to run it
If my hypothetical publication had both a print and online version, I would note in the print version that images of the story's subject could be seen online - and that many may find the photos disturbing. That way, readers of the print publication - especially children - would not be exposed to the gruesome photo if they didn't want to be.
-Would you prefer an alternate image?
Yes. I would prefer a photo of the bridge and the crowd without sight of the charred bodies hanging.
-If you ran it on the front page, where on the front page?
I would definitely not run this photo on the front page, but if I did, I would probably budget it at the top of the layout - and small.
-Would you run it inside?
No.
-What size would you run the image?
Online, I would run it the regular size of an image on my publication's website.
-Would you explain why you are running the image or why not? In what form would you explain this?
As I said above, I would explain in the print version why the photo would only run online. I would explain this in a blurb to the side of the news story.
-Would you issue a warning about the graphic nature of the image?
Yes.
-Would you be tempted - through cropping or digital manipulation - to alter the image?
No. That goes against journalistic ethics. We are not to manipulate the truth.
-If you didn't run this image, how would you convey the news?
I would convey the news in a story.
-How would your media platform influence your news judgment?  What are the differences, if any, if you were making these judgments for a daily newspaper, a news magazine, network television, cable television, a news website?
The print media platform of my news organization would be more conservative about what to publish because of its availability. Readers, when looking at a page, cannot choose what they see. Online, however, they can choose to click a link to see a photo they've been warned is disturbing. I believe that print and television should be conservative with what they choose to publish because the media are so intrusive. With proper warnings online, however, readers can choose to discover news based on warnings.


Consequences of your decision
All the questions listed on the Poynter site would concern me. 
Publication of the image could change the public's opinion about the war in Iraq. However, opinions are formed based on facts. The public should have access to these facts in order to form opinions.
The photo's publication could affect the safety of other Americans in Iraq because there could be copycat incidences.
I do believe the publication of this photo could offend and upset some people which is the reason I would include warnings before viewing.
I don't believe publication of this photo would ruin our credibility because we're publishing what happened. I don't think we would be charged with sensationalism, though I do agree that competitive publications might make different decisions. I don't think my publication would be accused of political bias.

In journalism, editors are faced with decisions similar to this one every day. The media control what information the public has access to. With this job description comes many responsibilities, including making thought-out decisions about what to publish.