AP in conflict with the Minister for publishing photos of war

Agency Asošiejted Press (AP) is in conflict with the Minister of Defense Robert Gates because, despite his express demands to do so, publish the picture mortally wounded U.S. Marine in Afghanistan, which were later taken and other media.

Image recorded by Julie Jacobson, AP photographer, shows how Corporal Joshua Bernard (21), hit by a grenade 14th August, lying on the ground with a heavy foot early on as he and other Marines to help. Bernard later died. Gates on Thursday in a letter to the AP news agency said that the matter of "assessment and ordinary decency" that the photos that are not used and stressed that it is the wish of the family killed soldiers. The Minister reiterated the request later in a telephone interview with the director of AP's Tom Kerlijem, but the picture is still posted yesterday. AP reported that the story and series of photographs, including a controversial, first published under the embargo - to give time to editors and producers to decide whether to use the image Marine killed.


Gates sent a request that the picture does not publish before the embargo expired. American Minister said that the use of these pictures meant a departure from restraint which showed the majority of journalists reporting on the military since the terrorist attacks in the U.S. 11th September 2001. Gates said in a letter that he could not understand why the agency intentionally acting contrary to the wish of the family killed, and knowing that what seems to cause more pain.
"Your lack of compassion and common sense decision to put this picture iskasapljenog affected child and the first page of many newspapers, for any horror," said Gates in a letter. AP despite those words yesterday released photo. One of the editors and the AP, John Daniševski said that he respects Gejtsov attitude, but sometimes the government and the press have different visions, and that the agency believed that the image illustrates the sacrifice and courage that people should see.
He said that the hardest decision was the attitude of the family, which clearly said that he does not want to publish the pictures, but at the end of the AP concluded that "the photographs of the war itself on which to report. AP said that after the publication of images received many responses - e-mail, phone calls and comments on the social network Tviter many of them critically, while some support the move and what to see photographs of law, unmodified image of the war.