Ethical Issues: Images of War

Images of war
Media images of injured and dead soldiers in war have generated conflicting views with regard to their ethical nature. In August 2009 for instance, Joshua Bernard, aged twenty one and a marine fighting in Afghanistan was killed when a rocket-propelled grenade struck him while in a Taliban ambush. An Associated Press photographer, Julie Jacobson, who had accompanied the marines, took the pictures of the incident. The pictures showed fellow marines helping a wounded Bernard and also showed the severe leg injuries he had suffered in the attack. She also covered the memorial service his fellow marines held after his death. The pictures were not published, however, after Bernard’s father opposed that saying that publishing them was disrespectful to his son’s memory. Jacobson on the other hand felt obliged as a media person to show to the world the grimness of the war as well as the sacrifice of the marines in the war. According to her, there was no better way to convey respect and to show Bernard's commitment and sacrifice than showing pictures of the events that took place until his death.
From the story above, it is clear there are ethical issues influencing journalistic photography especially coverage of war events involving the wounding or killing of soldiers. To some people, publishing these pictures is a way of showing to the world the extent and the severity of the war as well as a way of...