Today, 63 years after famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by enemy fire while covering combat on Ie Shima (a small island off Okinawa), the Associated Press has obtained and published the only known photo of the slain journalist. AP reports that “As far as can be determined, the photograph has never been published.”
According to the photo caption, “The Army photographer who crawled forward under fire to make this picture later said it was withheld by military officials.”
A stark reminder that journalism can be dangerous — even deadly — business. Even though this business is highly competitive, we still should “get each other’s back.”
If you haven’t yet done so, check out the Committee to Protect Journalists. They offer useful resources for staying safe when doing hazardous reporting, assist journalists in danger around the world, and offer a sobering tally of journalists killed from 1992 to 2007.
By the way, I learned about the Pyle photo via AP’s Twitter feed.
