home

Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures

By Jeralyn, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 04:30:44 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Yesterday, I wrote about the Administration's decision not to let the media have access to Hurricane Katrina photos of the dead. Vincent Carroll of the Rocky Mountain News took a swipe at TalkLeft for criticizing the decision.

Critics of the Federal Emergency Management Agency are shellacking it again for barring journalists from taking pictures of Hurricane Katrina's victims as bodies are pulled from receding waters.
"This is reminiscent of the policy against photographs of the flag-draped coffins of dead soldiers," declared the Denver-based TalkLeft blog in a typical complaint. "Anything that puts the government in a bad light becomes taboo."

As every working journalist knows, however, such analysis completely misreads how the American public would react to photos and video of bloated bodies being pulled from stinking floodwaters. The public wouldn't blame government for the images. They'd blame the press. And I say this as someone who believes FEMA should let photographers tag along on these grisly missions.

Bush-haters can't help themselves: They interpret every federal decision as an expression of narrow self-interest. But when a FEMA spokeswoman explained to Reuters that journalists would be barred from rescue boats in order to ensure that "the recovery of the victims is . . . treated with dignity and the utmost respect," she wasn't merely parroting the attitude of a bureaucracy on its heels.

Carroll says Americans would think the pictures are vulgar voyeurism. I think each American should have the ability to decide for themselves whether to view them. Some will want to see the horror , others won't. But, censorship is not the right response. The decision should be our's, not the Administration's.

< Dear America, | NY Times: Storm Leaves Legal System a Shambles >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#1)
    by Steven Sanderson on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    Hmmm...through the years I've seen countless images of dead people whose lives were snuffed out prematurely in either man-made or natural catasthrophes, yet I never heard criticism of these images being voyeuristic by Vincent Carroll or others of his ilk. I wonder why?!

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#2)
    by cpinva on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    "Bush haters can't help themselves" this pretty much says it all regarding mr. carroll: he's no journalist, merely another partisan shill for the present administration. they so easily give themselves away. unlike mr. carroll, i'd like the opportunity to be repulsed, without the govt. making that decision for me. otherwise, why did my parents bother spending good money for college tuition?

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    At first I thought I didn't want to look at these pictures, but then I did. I guess it was due to some voyeuristic aspect of my personality that I'm not quite in touch with. Forever, these images will be emblazened upon some part of my brain. This really did happen. My country failed these people. They're dead. The're really dead. And their bodies have been left to drift and rot upon flooded streets in my United States of America.

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#4)
    by Pete Guither on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    Carroll has a bizarre point of view. He thinks that photographers should be allowed to go along, but is not sure that photos should be shown, because if they are, the press might be blamed. And then, he is magically able to interpret the administration's decision to bar photos as being respectful and not narrow self-interest, while determining that TalkLeft's position in favor of the American principles of free speech is Bush-hating. Not much of a journalist.

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    Uh! Wonder what the Denver Post says?

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    FEMA detention camp? Hope it ain't so! www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/fema.html

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    I wouldn't look at the pictures because I have no gruesome interest in seeing them. But I'm disgusted that I'm not given the right to see images the government doesn't want me to see. The loser "journalist" - or more apt, propagandist given his labeling of a dissenting voice as "Bush hater" - is the same kind of apologist that would claim that Conservatives and Corporate Media outlets are not purposely serving their self interest by not showing the images of flagged draped coffins returning from Iraq. Since it's quite obvious he's reading your site, take note - your embrace of censorship is exactly what is wrong with spineless and/or bought-and-paid for journalism today.

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#8)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:30 PM EST
    when a FEMA spokeswoman explained to Reuters that journalists would be barred from rescue boats in order to ensure that "the recovery of the victims is . . . treated with dignity and the utmost respect,"
    Heeeey...the reason was supposed to be because the media was taking up space on the rescue boats that should be used by rescuers. Looks like somebody messed up his talking points. As an aside, I distinctly recall that the Bushies PROMINENTLY displayed photos of people falling headfirst through the air from the upper floors of the World Trade Center on their government websites in the fall of 2001. I guess some deaths are meant to be a little less dignified than others?

    Re: Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures (none / 0) (#9)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:31 PM EST
    As usual, our resident wrong wingers are silent when it comes to matters of actual suppression of freedom of speech. Where are you O harbingers of fascism? I remember you wrong wingers accusing ud liberal thinjkers of only accepting free speech when it "fits our principles"... Hows that foot taste?

    Columnist Takes Swipe Over NOLA Pictures | 9 comments (9 topical)