US Army Photog: Military Propagandist? Embeded? or just a GI Blogger?
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Saturday May 07, 2005 18:57
by redjade
or does a photograph convey truth regardless? but which truth? and in who's favour?
'World War III will be a guerrilla information war, with no division between military and civilian participation.'
-- Marshall McLuhan
Sat, May 07, 05
Letter to the Irish Times:
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/letters/2005/0507/index.html#1113002080082
Madam, - The photograph of the US officer holding a wounded Iraqi child is certainly emotionally provocative. While I am not suggesting that the picture is a fake, or that the child was neither wounded nor subsequently died, I am curious about the rationale behind publishing such a poignant image, given its source and the associated propaganda value.
The US army is cited as an associated source for the picture taken by former special forces soldier Michael Yon, who now describes himself as an author and who is currently "embedded" with the US Army Stryker Brigade in Iraq.
Even a fleeting glance at Mr Yon's blog website would demonstrate its propaganda value for the US army. - Yours, etc,
GEORGE SWEENEY, Derry City.
-- -- --
→ Photo syndicated by Associated Press: http://tinyurl.com/dw8fc
From a Mil Blog for the Stryker Brigade (not official .mil site)
''CORRECTION: We originally attributed the photo to the US Army. The photo was in fact taken by Michael Yon.''
http://www.strykernews.com/archives/2005/05/03/terrorist_attack_kills_two_iraqi_children_injures_15.html
FOX News interviews David Yon about the photo:
http://www.dvidshub.net/vids/0505/DOD_I05050501.wmv
The photo becomes positive Iraq news in the US
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=732523
Michael Yon's own Blog:
http://michaelyon.blogspot.com
Michael Yon writes about the photo....
http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/2005/05/little-girl.html
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8for some editorial balance
'As an illustration of journalism from the front lines of the War on Terror, check out Michael Yon, a journalist in Iraq who actually does some travelling.'
http://www.freedominst.org/2005/05/journalists-in-iraq.html
''Freedom' Institute fails to notice that Michael Yon is a Soldier'
Me wrong. Michael Yon is NOT a US Soldier - but a former one.
Read the debate at the 'Freedom' Institute on 'embedded' bloggers.
And what would your comments be about the person that took these photos?
Are they also propaganda or are they doing the same thing as Michael Yon's photo, showing the carnage that the terrorist are inflicting on Iraqis.
I guess you leftists are only satisfied when the terrorists attack soldiers.
An injured Iraqi schoolgirl is evacuated from the Aqida girls' school near the scene of a suicide car bombing in Tahrir square in Baghdad Saturday May 7, 2005. The bombing, which targeted a passing civilian contractor convoy just outside the school killed at least 15 persons in the late morning explosion in the busy commercial area in the center of Baghdad. (Photo by Scott Nelson/WpN) REPORT USAGE TO KATIE HUNT-MORR /WpN 1 212 871 12 15
Oxen, I wrote it to be an open question.
As a photog I will tell you photos do not reveal all of the truth - no more than a writer reporter.
Mr Yon has been credited by the Associated Press as a 'US Army' photographer, even though he seems to be freelance and was once in the Army. The lack of clarity of who he is working for is an issue.
If the Irish Times publishes photos that come out of the pentagon - officially or unofficially - can we expect Mr Yon to release photos of war crimes, if they should happen in his presence?
The photo, i have no doubt, reveals what happened at that moment in time accurately - and the tradgedy of it.
But *why* we are seeing that photo published in the first place is to be questioned. And why the Irish Times is publishing 'US Army' photographers is another question.
"...and why the Irish Times is publishing 'US Army' photographers is another question."
So, tell us then - what is the answer. We're all waiting for your insight into another mililtary-media complex conspiracy involving Rumsfeld, Ahern, and Kevin Myers.
I think that the soldiers tears are genuine and that he does truely grieve for the young child, perhaps some people have used the image for their own purposes, but we should not denigrate the young lad for the position that his political masters have put him in.
→ 'So, tell us then'
I'm not claiming conspiracy - but think its a bit sloppy of the Irish Times journalistically speaking. But at least they credited Yon. All newspapers want 'the image of the day' and thats fair enough.
But this shows how far jounalism has slid since the war began - first they are embedded, now they are not even embedded - 'journalism' is just subcontracted out to former military 'freelancers' that somehow are allowed access that others may not be able to get.
Nothing wrong with former military photogs covering the war but if you read this guy's blog he's not pretending to have any detachment from his unit, or rather the unit he is with.
Again, if war crimes occur, can we expect him to show these photos as well?
Iraq is a dangerous place to cover - many journalists have died and some even killed (some say targeted) by US Troops. This has pushed many of the images we would have seen off the front pages. But if you have a ex-Mil Photog, not only is there more safety but, apparently, you get a pro-occupation image spread around the globe.
I think this is a trend to watch.
→ 'but we should not denigrate the young lad for the position that his political masters have put him in.'
sinead, I agree with you.
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