Publish or Not to Publish?

One of the recurring ethical dilemmas in journalism is whether or not to publish photographs that may be considered offensive to some portion of the public, may promote the goal of a person who committed an offense, or that are extremely violent or graphic. This dilemma has recently recurred in debate surrounding the printing or distribution of photographs or videotapes that show the death of Joshua Bernard and the beheading of James Foley by the terrorist organization, Isis. Many people feel that distributing these photos is disrespectful, not only to the victims, but also to their family members. They believe that the victims deserve to be remembered in life and not reduced to a victim status. Other people worry that distributing images of something like a soldier's death or a beheadings will actually promote hostile goals, by encouraging fear in the population. While those concerns...
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