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Topic: Letters Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 2/3/2006 2:04:00 PM
Title: Let's see those cartoons
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
From NELSON SIGELMAN, news editor, Martha's Vineyard Times: Am I alone in thinking that some news organizations have lost their nerve? On Thursday evening I watched a report on the CBS Evening News about the uproar in the Arab world caused by the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. The report described the protests and demonstrations arising from the view, one that I do not agree with, that the newspapers that carried the cartoons had crossed a line.

During the report the anchor said that CBS had decided not to show the
cartoons. I was stunned. How could I as a viewer understand the issues surrounding this story if the news organization presenting it would not provide the critical piece of information I needed to make an informed judgment? I think that CBS and every other news organization that carried this story without showing at least one of the cartoons should be ashamed of themselves.

Curious, I quickly switched channels and caught the same report on ABC. That network showed one cartoon, Muhammad wearing a turban that was a smoking bomb. NBC showed just the turban, I guess figuring that by not showing a face they were somehow playing it safe.

When freedom of the press and freedom expression are under fire as they are now across Europe and the Mideast, it's no time for major US news organizations to play it safe. By any standard these cartoons are a legitimate part of a news story that raises many troubling issues. The reaction of some news outlets only added to those issues. [Permalink]

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