Very few front pages of U.S. newspapers featured photos of a dead Moammar Gadhafi Friday morning, choosing instead to show rebels and citizens celebrating or archival images of the Libyan leader.
- Of the 424 U.S. papers collected by the Newseum, I found seven — the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Casa Grande (Ariz.) Dispatch, Hartford Courant, El Nuevo Herald, Poynter’s St. Petersburg Times, and Express — that used large images of a dead Gadhafi on their front pages.
- The Virginian-Pilot, Boston Globe, Las Vegas Review-Journal, High Point (N.C.) Enterprise and San Luis Obispo Tribune used a large front page photo of a bloodied Gadhafi taken before his death.
- At least a dozen other papers used small images of a bloodied or dead Gadhafi on their front page.
- None of the major national newspapers — The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today — used photos of a deceased Gadhafi on their front pages.
Abroad, some papers showed militaristic or menacing images of Gadhafi, but dozens opted for a dominant photo of the fallen dictator after he was killed by rebel fighters. Warning: Graphic images below. Some appear here courtesy of the Newseum.
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- Express tempered the effect of the bloody photo by treating it as a video screengrab.
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- The Daily News front page was dominated by the photo.
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- The Post’s headline and inset photo created intrigue around the dictator’s murder and its tie to a New York baseball fan.
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- The Hartford Courant used a photo that showed bystanders capturing images of Gadhafi’s body.
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- El Nuevo Herald used a similar image as the Hartford Courant, and also showed the place where Gadhafi was allegedly captured.
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- The Poynter-owned St. Petersburg Times used a photo of Gadhafi provided by Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.
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- The Virginian-Pilot used a photo taken after Gadhafi was bloodied, but before he died.
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- Most U.S. papers treated the news as The Washington Post did, with images of celebration; some, like the Post, included smaller photos of an injured or dead Gadhafi.
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- One of the more interesting front pages was from the Ledger Independent in Maysville, Ky.
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- The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger used multiple photos to tell the story of Gadhafi’s death.
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- This German paper used a photo montage to signal Gadhafi’s departure.
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- Gazeta, based in Poland, used a photo of Gadhafi in uniform.
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- Canada’s National Post created a poster-like portrait of Gadhafi.
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- The Lisbon-based Publico showed a dignified Gadhafi.
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- France’s Le Figaro used a photo of Gadhafi looking less formal.
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- This Abu Dhabi-based paper used a photo of a young Gadhafi beside a photo of the dead general.
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- Though many international front pages showed Gadhafi’s body, this Argentina paper was the only one I saw that used a photo of his covered body.
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