When the Media Gags Itself

...what if a media outlet had access to some damning photographic evidence of a Mai Lai-style massacre that occurred in Iraq, and was holding back the images, ostensibly so as not to damage the tender sensibilities of its readership? (In a moment, you'll understand why I use the term "ostensibly".)

This past Sunday, the Washington Post buried a story on Page A14 ( ... Full Story »

Posted by Bonnie Britt

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Bonnie Britt
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by Bonnie Britt - Oct. 1, 2008

Good catch by blogger demonstrating how WP surrenders its duty to inform in favor of assuming the mantle of nanny, censor and arbiter of what war photography is too sensitive, i.e. graphic, to be seen. Blogger scores the Post for hiding photographic evidence in its possession of civilian murders at Haditha by U.S. military personnel. Quoting from the Post's own story, Blair shows how the Post damns itself --and betrays the public trust-- with these words. "The images are contained in thousands of pages of NCIS investigative documents obtained by The Washington Post. Post editors decided that most of the images are too graphic to publish."

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