Eulogizing Etiquette... and Copyright?
It concerns me to see pictures like this in the aftermath of the death of Reuters videographer Fadel Shana. It's one thing to pay respects to a comrade, that's obviously understandable.
It's the presence of the ginormous propaganda posters in the background that is a bit unsettling, at least to me.
Was this man a journalist, holding every side of a given issue to equal critique, aiming to bring the truth to discussion of modern events?
Or was he an activist, interested in promoting and supporting a very specific side of the conflict? A propagandist, if you will, bringing one very biased point of view to his coverage of news events on the ground?
Because, when I see propaganda posters like those posted in the picture above, I immediately think of the latter. Without question.
But hey, what are knee-jerk reactionaries for if their knees don't jerk on occasion?
To be charitable, I'll throw this one into "Human Shields" for now.
(Oh yeah, one wonders how the copyright on the propaganda posters would work, considering the photo was published on the Reuters wire. Who is "borrowing" from whom here, anyway?)
It's the presence of the ginormous propaganda posters in the background that is a bit unsettling, at least to me.
Was this man a journalist, holding every side of a given issue to equal critique, aiming to bring the truth to discussion of modern events?
Or was he an activist, interested in promoting and supporting a very specific side of the conflict? A propagandist, if you will, bringing one very biased point of view to his coverage of news events on the ground?
Because, when I see propaganda posters like those posted in the picture above, I immediately think of the latter. Without question.
But hey, what are knee-jerk reactionaries for if their knees don't jerk on occasion?
To be charitable, I'll throw this one into "Human Shields" for now.
(Oh yeah, one wonders how the copyright on the propaganda posters would work, considering the photo was published on the Reuters wire. Who is "borrowing" from whom here, anyway?)
