embedded photographer kicked out for showing war

Status
Not open for further replies.
I took a look on those rules:D
"(6) Possession of pornographic material while embedded or reporting is not authorized."
???What the heck of a rule is this??? And it's there in the front, rule nr six, all before the safety related rules.

This world is weird.
 
There are a few non-"in-bedded" reporters. I wish Dahr Jamail had better photo documentation of his work. The days of "history is written by the victors" is past. The best the "victors" can hope for today with so much media and instant communication is to create a hopeless muddle and miasma of doubt through spin and propaganda. The iconic images of the current conflicts that will live through history have been captured by pjs working for Al Jazeera.
 
For some insight into what it is like to work independently as a photographer in Iraq, look for the book: Unembedded (Chelsea press 2005, hardback
ISBN: 1-931498-95-4, paperback ISBN: 1-931498-98-9). Four photographers show their work and talk about the challenges of working in Iraq without being beholden to the US Military. But even in that book there is very little documentation of American casualties. It is important to remember that the first casualty of war is the truth.
 
Last edited:
Some great responses in there so far.

I do see embeds as having mostly a PR role, but to follow the rules and still get kicked out seems wrong. I think the administration is wrong for blocking photos like that, or even of returning coffins. It demeans soldier's service and lowers civic discourse by sanitizing the whole thing. But that's what the administration wants anyway, to have their war of choice, on the taxpayers dime, no questions asked. It makes me ill when I think about it, which is precisely what they don't want me to do.
 
I'm so confused by our media and it's spin I just glaze over. I have to be skeptical about everything that is written. It's nuts. It's like living a life of a "hockey goalie" 24/7 and continually kicking out the pucks lest one more disinformation point is scored. I'm weary of it all and that alone is a victory for these puppet masters.

Bottom line is the government and media have collectively "cried wolf" so many times I can't believe them. The future doesn't look much better either.
 
Public Relations is right. From the Media Hold Harmless Agreement:

(8) While in transit to and from an embed or unit visit, the media cannot act in a news gathering capacity. Filming, interviewing or photographing on any installation or transportation assets is not authorized unless approved and escorted by a public affairs officer responsible for that area.

So, you simply can't report freely- wasn't there something written somewhere about a free press?

This one seems a bit troubling also-

(14) (n) No interviews with detainees are authorized.

Wouldn't want to hear the other sides opinion would we?

I truly hope that the whole story comes out before Bush, Cheney & Rumsfeld are dead.
 
sepiareverb said:
I truly hope that the whole story comes out before Bush, Cheney & Rumsfeld are dead.
Click to expand...

I agree. I'll add Karl Rove in there too.

The foreign policy blunder is bad enough. But I'm disgusted that they're also dismantling the Bill of Rights.
 
The saddest part is they've got a sizeable percentage of the American public to believe that simply asking "hey, what's going on here?" is an act of treason.
 
I guess we are getting what we all want, life that is clean and without troubles. Frankly the world outside of America is so disgusted with the US that I sometimes don't tell people I am American just so I can avoid the onslaught of criticism over a gov system I do not approve of. Its a bad time to be an American in the outside world these days...and frankly I am a little ashamed.
 
Last edited:
Avotius said:
I guess we are getting what we all want, life that is clean and without troubles. Frankly the world outside of America is so disgusted with the US that I sometimes don't tell people I am American just so I can avoid the onslaught of criticism over a gov system I do not approve of. Its a bad time to be an American in the outside world these days...and frankly I am a little ashamed.
Click to expand...

Try being from Texas, my friend. Everytime someone finds out I am from Texas, they want to know how in the hell we produced such a moron for a president. And what is worse, is that a huge number of Texans still support the guy and his policies. The reality of the situation is a bitter pill for a lot of Texans to swallow.....
 
Rick Waldroup said:
Try being from Texas, my friend. Everytime someone finds out I am from Texas, they want to know how in the hell we produced such a moron for a president. And what is worse, is that a huge number of Texans still support the guy and his policies. The reality of the situation is a bitter pill for a lot of Texans to swallow.....
Click to expand...

Ouch. I can just imagine. At least being from Seattle most people recognize me as maybe being more liberal and sometimes that's enough to keep me out of trouble. One time a very very poor old lady picking up scraps on the street lectured me over American government foolishness! This as a lady who had soda can pull tabs for coat buttons and probably made 15 cents a day. Oh dear...
 
Rick Waldroup said:
Try being from Texas, my friend. Everytime someone finds out I am from Texas, they want to know how in the hell we produced such a moron for a president. And what is worse, is that a huge number of Texans still support the guy and his policies. The reality of the situation is a bitter pill for a lot of Texans to swallow.....
Click to expand...

This "Bush is a moron" meme is getting tired. What does this childish name calling have to do with cameras? You are as tiresome as my conservative friends who still call Bill Clinton a serial rapist. I guess both childish insults are true, right?
 
Al Patterson said:
What does this childish name calling have to do with cameras?
Click to expand...


at the very least, its a marginally understandable reaction to an administration that has completely censored cameras, all cameras, showing the world what is happening on the battlefield.

Apparently, this isnt such a big deal to some people, but this country was built on ideals like, you know, a free press, freedom of speech, stuff like that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom