Sunday World - Why the photo?

alleepally

Front page of today's Sunday World has a picture of Garda Jerry McCabe dead in the car taken at time he was shot.

Sunday World justified printing the photo as it showed what a brutal crime it was, and was a timely reminder to the government and "Sinn Fein/IRA" that the killers shouldn't be realeased under the GF agreement.

Not getting into a debate here about whether the killers should be freed, but I honestly think the Sunday World have plumbed the lowest depths of journalism on this one.

I read that family members said ok for the picture to be published (but it didn't say they gave 'permission' just that they were consulted) which is fair enough but the whole need for the article is deeply suspicious and the printing of the photograph even more so.

Surely, shooting someone in the head in cold blood doesn't leave much to the imagination. I was personally disgusted seeing the picture on the front of the paper which I think was purely intended to sell more newpapers regardless of what the SW say or what they told the family.

Before anyone asks 'why did you buy the paper then'. I didn't but it was in my brothers house today when I dropped over for lunch.

ecksor

Interesting typo but you may want to reread your post and edit ...

NightStrike

Saw it, bought it as I usually do but haven't got to read it yet. The paper has obviously taken a stance whereby they believe there is no way in hell the killers should be freed. As a result they've used this shock tactic and really in your face photo to remind people of the crime committed. When u see that it freshens the murder, not so much in the past and they were probably hoping to drum up some kind of anti-release thing or something. Not saying I justify it or not because I haven't read the paper but that's why I think they put the photo there.

alleepally

Originally posted by ecksor
Interesting typo but you may want to reread your post and edit ...

I edited the post now folks, I said Jerry Maguire instead of Jerry McCabe.

Thanks for pointing it out though

Would be nice if you could have commented as well to generate a bit of debate.

mike65

I read the post twice and did'nt spot Maguire! Ahem...

On the pic well a tabloids gotta do what a tabloids gotta do. Shock tactics is what they deal in I'm sure the great majority of thier "readers" did'nt need to be reminded.

Mike.

Genghis

I agree with you alleepally. We don't need a picture to tell us what it is like to be shot in the head.

Interestingly, Robert Fisk was on Radio One over the weekend, making similar noises. He was condemning an unnamed newspaper for showing Nick Berg at the point of beheading (i.e. further than had been shown before). His point was that you do not need to be shown a beheading to be apalled by it, and if someone prints such a picture, then it is borderline as to what they are catering for - e.g. people with a sick attraction to such pictures.

On the other hand, on his travels across troublespots he has come across truly dreadful incidents (one of which he described on air where in the aftermath of a legal war he witnessed dogs pulling asunder the remains of children killed in the war). He believed that pictures as these should be published, because if people could see the real side of war, then there would be very little public support for any war in the future.

Instead we are given sanitised pictures from the warfront, and no newspaper or other media is rave enough to show the real impact of war. I agree with him to a great extent - for many the most abiding and enduring image of the Iraq war will be the toppling of the Saddam statue. Similarily, look at the outrage when pictures are published of Iraqi prisoners being abused - that outrage is just as it should be, but imagine the outrage if we were shown pictures from the frontline.

sceptre

I dislike editorialising on front pages. I know all papers do it to an extent but this was presumably (I didn't see it) one of those "THESE KILLERS MUST NEVER BE RELEASED" things the UK Sundays go in for. Regardless of the content, I'd like to see news on the front page.

Is the Sunday World still printed on a Thursday or did they stop that?

flogen

Firstly sceptre has a good point, editorial comment for the editorial page, putting it anywhere else just goes towards fogging the truth.

Secondly, I havent seen the pic, but I imagine it is somewhat gruesome. A newspaper has no place to tell the government what to do, but rather tell the people what the government is doing, and let them decide if its right or wrong.
I'm always un-decided on the use of shock-tactics, in any area of life. I dont think I would fully support the paper in what they are doing, but saying that I can also see their point. Its a matter of weither this is acceptable for public display. Now I am quite opposed to over-censorship, but seeing an actual dead body is much worse than a naked body (but the argument always goes back to the persons/guardians responsibilities.).
I think there was no need to editorialise the front page, and no need to put such a graphic image on the front page (or at all), so I would say it was wrong on the part of the paper.

Flogen

Cork

Newspapers do editorialise on their front page.

We had a political party lobbying for the early release of the people associated with this murder.

I think the picture was trying to bring it home to people how cold blooded this murder was.

flogen

I know they do, but I dont think they should.

And as I said, I understand where the paper was coming from, but I dont think it was necessary, thats just my opinion I suppose, but I dont really need a picture to tell me that a murder such as the McCabe case was brutal or heartless

Flogen

alleepally

The photograph reminded me of something you'd see in the National Enquirer about a mafia hit.

Cork, I'd have to disagree and say that this picture did nothing to indicate the cold blooded nature of the murder. It is more chilling to read how it actually happened, as I think would be the case in any murder.