Pulitzer Prize Photographs

The first photograph is called the Boston Fire. The photograph shows a woman and her child falling from a burning building. The woman is tumbling under the child, whose face you can see. The image is pretty gruesome. Both suspended in id-air, looks of horror etched on their faces. At least we know that the child survived. This picture led to stronger fire safety laws throughout the United States.

The second photograph shows a family rushing to greet a soldier from war. He had been detained in a Vietcong Prison Camp for six years. When he finally got home, his family was happy to see him. This picture made me feel happy. It's nice to see soldiers in a positive light for a change.

Associated Press Publishes Controversial Photograph

On Friday, September 4, the Associated Press ran a story about an assault in Afghanistan. A squad of Marines was caught in an ambush staged by the Taliban. One soldier had his leg blown off, and died on the operating table. The Associated Press had an image of the Marine, leg missing, covered in blood, and used it in their media, against the wishes of the family.
Personally, I feel that the AP was in the wrong in this one. The family of the dead soldier has the final say in whether an image of their son can or cannot be used. If they say that an image should not be used, it should not be used. The Associated Press hides behind the First Amendment, claiming that it gives them the right to publish pictures, even if the grieving family of a dead man asks them not to. One of my favorite quotes is “My right to swing my fist ends at the other man’s nose.” I think that the Associated Press should keep that in mind.

Photo Manipulation

Adnan Hajj took a picture of Beirut, Lebanon after an Israeli strike force assaulted the city during the 2006 crisis. He took his original photograph, and Photoshopped it, badly. He took one of the plumes of smoke, and cloned it. He also cloned several of the buildings, making the Beirut skyline almost unrecognizable. He even darkened the skies of the city. His only defense was that he hadn't Photoshopped it, and had only enhanced it to remove dust. Eveyone suspects that he did it because he is Lebanese, and therefore wanted to show Israel in a negative light. In doing this, however, he took the journalistic integrity of Rueters, and tore it apart. This wasn't the first time he did this, but it was the last.