Tag Archives: gaddafi

Guardian on using Gaddafi corpse images: ‘Complaints arrived within the hour’

The use of the image of Muammar Gaddafi’s corpse in coverage of his death caused much controversy earlier this month, as newsrooms across the country made decisions about which images to use and with what prominence. At the time newspapers and broadcasters swiftly sought to explain the reasoning for their decisions to their audience, with the BBC’s Steve Herrmann issuing a statement to say the BBC News site would be “working on ways to ensure that we can give appropriate warnings on our website when we think images from the news are especially disturbing”.

And the debate continues, with the Guardian’s readers’ editor Chris Elliot yesterday questioning the way in which the newspaper had used the images of Muammar Gaddafi’s corpse after it emerged he had been killed.

In a column published yesterday Elliot revealed that almost 60 readers wrote to him or the letters page to complain about the use of the images “as gratuitous, exploitative or triumphalist” while others posted criticisms online.

Elliot concludes that while he agreed with the decision to publish at the time, he is now “less convinced” about the manner in which they were used.

The scale of the photo on the newspaper front page of 21 October and prominent picture use on the website took us too close to appearing to revel in the killing rather than reporting it. And that is something that should feature in our deliberations the next time – and there will be a next time – such a situation arises.

Interestingly he added that in 2006, when the Guardian published images of Saddam Hussein after being hanged, it received more than 200 complaints.

However the Guardian’s media commentator Roy Greenslade does not agree with Elliot, arguing that “it was a valid journalistic response to this most extraordinary of news stories to publish the picture and to publish it big on the front page”.

It was news – gruesome, grisly, ghastly (choose your own shock adjective) news – and the images told a story of brutality and mob chaos that could not be explained in words alone.

Journalisted Weekly: Gaddafi, Occupy LSX and Dale Farm

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Gaddafi, Occupy LSX and Dale Farm

for the week ending Sunday 23 October

  • The death of Muammar Gaddafi dominated the week’s news
  • Occupy London Stock Exchange protests, Dale Farm evictions and UK inflation covered lots
  • World’s first commercial spaceport and end of University of Wales covered little

Covered lots

Covered little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs. serious

Arab spring (countries & current leaders)

Who wrote a lot about… the House of Commons motion calling for a referendum on the EU

Long form journalism

Journalists who have updated their profile

  • Richard Hall writes for The Independent and has worked freelance for The Guardian, Esquire Magazine, The Huffington Post, Middle East Educator and the Bristol Evening Post. He has also worked as digital publisher and journalist for Northcliffe Media and as Middle East editor at the Daily Star (Lebanon). He attended the University of the West of England where he won the Student Writer of the Year Award in 2009. You can follow Richard on Twitter @_RichardHall
  • Gill Oliver is a freelance feature writer at the Oxford Times. She has experience at Fleet Street News Agency, Video Trade Weekly, She and Woman magazines and various trade magazines. She was educated at the London College of Printing after attending Newbridge Grammar in south Wales. Follow Gill on Twitter @Justajourno

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at this year’s Prospect Think Tank Awards

Read about our campaign for the full exposure of phone hacking and other illegal forms of intrusion at the Hacked Off website

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

The Media Standards Trust’s unofficial database of PCC complaints is available for browsing at www.complaints.pccwatch.co.uk

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Journalisted Weekly: Gaddafi, Hurricane Irene, Steve Jobs & GCSEs

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Gaddafi, Hurricane Irene, Steve Jobs & GCSEs

for the week ending Sunday 28 August

  • The liberation of Libya and search for Colonel Gaddafi was this week’s lead story
  • Hurricane Irene, Steve Jobs’ resignation and GCSE results covered lots
  • Strikes in Chile and Pukkelpop stage collapse covered little

Covered lots

  • The fall of Libya, and subsequent search for Colonel Gaddafi, as rebels took control of the capital Tripoli, 782 articles
  • America battened down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Irene, 238 articles
  • Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple due to ill health, 161 articles
  • GCSE results announced, 160 articles

Covered little

  • Violent clashes during Chile’s national strike, 11 articles
  • Canadian opposition leader Jack Layton dies aged 61, 10 articles
  • Bolton man dies after being Tasered, the third death following an arrest in 8 days, 9 articles
  • 5 people die at Belgian music festival Pukkelpop as weather conditions cause stage collapse, 5 articles
  • Cyprus’ financial problems continue, as the government debates an emergency fiscal package, 3 articles

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs. serious

Arab spring (countries & current leaders)

Who wrote a lot about… former News of the World editor Andy Coulson

Long form journalism

Journalists who have updated their profile

  • Tom McArthur is currently an online producer at ITN as well as writing for Sabotage Times. He has formerly written for Pale Blue News and Under the Influence Magazine, before which he interned for Ultimate Rugby 7s website and completed work experience at the Independent on Sunday. He read European & International Politics at Northumbria University, and is a former winner of Vice Chancellors Community Sports Award. You can follow Tom on Twitter @TomMcArthur
  • David Wooding was associate Editor (Politics) at News of the World, a position he held from 2010 until the paper’s closure in July. Prior to NoW he worked at The Sun, The People, Daily Mail and Daily Express. He studied at the University of Lancashire and is a former winner of the News Reporter of the Year award. You can follow David on Twitter @DavidWooding

Read about our campaign for the full exposure of phone hacking and other illegal forms of intrusion at the Hacked Off website

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

The Media Standards Trust’s unofficial database of PCC complaints is available for browsing at www.complaints.pccwatch.co.uk

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Luke Harding: ‘We’re sort of used to the gunfire, but this was clearly directed towards us’

Around 35 journalists were relieved yesterday to have been allowed to leave the Rixos Hotel in central Tripoli, where they had been trapped for five days amid heavy fighting between rebels and Gaddafi loyalists.

Many of them moved from the Rixos to the Corinthia Hotel, further away from the fighting around Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound. But a report this afternoon from Guardian correspondent Luke Harding suggests that, despite Gaddafi having been ousted, they are still in some danger from loyalists. Talking to his colleague Mathew Weaver over Skype from the Corinthia, Harding said the hotel was “sprayed” with heavy ammunition fire for five to 10 minutes.

I was just downstairs in the lobby having lunch … and I went up to the second floor and there was a surge of journalists in from the terrace and there was gunfire. This was where we’d all been setting up our satellite dishes and people had been doing live braodcasts. There’s been a fantastic amount of gunfire over the last few days so we’re sort of used to it but this was clearly directed towards us which was why everyone came charging in.

It’s hard to know who, but it seems there were loyalists in the high rise blocks to our left that opened fire on the hotel.

There isn’t much security here, there are a couple of guards in the hotel who panicked and fired inside, which sent everyone scarpering. I just took the lift up to the 13th floor and locked myself in the room. The firing went on for about five to 10 minutes.

I just went to see my neighbour Kim Sengupta from the Independent. He is two [floors] down from me, and he has four bullet holes in the wall and one on the ceiling. This is not Kalashnikov fire – this is a very well-built, modern hotel – this is clearly something much heavier and someone has just sprayed the hotel with it. As far as I know, nobody has been hurt.

This is indicative of just how insecure Tripoli is.

See more on the Guardian’s Middle East liveblog at this link.

Follow Luke Harding on Twitter: @lukeharding1968

Journalisted Weekly: (More) Gaddafi, Galliano, and Sheen

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about.

It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations.

Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

for the week ending Sunday 6 March

  • Gaddafi, father and son, still clinging to headlines
  • Galliano’s and Charlie Sheen’s comments on camera, covered lots
  • Nato’s airstrike on Afghan children, and the killing of Somalia peacekeepers, covered little

Covered lots

  • Libya’s Gaddafi, father and son, still clinging to power, 894 articles
  • Fashion designer John Galliano, fired by Christian Dior for anti-semitic comments, 157 articles
  • Charlie Sheen, publicly insulting his employers, joining Twitter, and discussing his sex life, marital and drug problems with the media, 136 articles
  • The London School of Economics (LSE), criticised for finanicial ties with Gaddafi, leading to their director’s resignation, 101 articles

Covered little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs serious

Who wrote a lot about…’BSkyB’

Martin Fletcher – 15 articles (The Times), Ben Fenton – 8 articles (Financial Times), Dan Sabbagh – 7 articles (The Guardian), Mark Sweney – 7 articles (The Guardian), Jason Beattie – 4 articles (The Mirror), Graham Hiscott – 4 articles (The Mirror), Louise Armistead – 4 articles (The Telegraph), Amanda Andrews – 3 articles (The Telegraph)

Long form journalism

More from the Media Standards Trust

The Media Standards Trust’s new site Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism – is now live

The Media Standards Trust’s unofficial database of PCC complaints is available for browsing at www.complaints.pccwatch.co.uk

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Libya could relax ban on foreign journalists on Friday

Libya is reportedly planning to allow some Western journalists to report from the capital, Tripoli, tomorrow, but has warned those who have already entered without proper government accreditation that they face immediate arrest and will be considered al-Qaeda collaborators.

Foreign media have been trying to gain access for the past week to cover the violent protests that have gripped the country, as protestors call for the end of Colonel Gaddafi’s 42-year rule.

Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya have been relying on user-generated content sent in from around the country to keep on top of the story. The Independent’s Robert Fisk managed to file a report from Tripoli following a brief visit there.

Gaddafi’s son said in an interview with Libyan state television that some journalists would be allowed into the capital Tripoli on Friday. The Washington Post says Libya will do this “so [journalists] can corroborate the government’s claim that the country remains under Gaddafi’s control”.

According to the US state department, Libyan officials say they will grant access to CNN, BBC Arabic and Al-Arabiya.

It said, however, that any reporters who have entered without government permission to cover the violent unrest sweeping the country risked “immediate arrest on the full range of possible immigration charges” and considered al-Qaeda “collaborators”.

The warning to news organisations from the US state department says: “Be advised, entering Libya to report on the events unfolding there is additionally hazardous with the government labeling unauthorized media as terrorist collaborators and claiming they will be arrested if caught.”

The government appears to have lost control of parts of eastern Libya, including the second biggest city Benghazi. As a result, some reporters have managed to get into the country by crossing the border from Egypt.

The Daily Mail says crowds in Benghazi “cheered as international journalists drove through the city – and the only shooting that could be heard was celebratory gunfire”.

CNN’s Ben Wedeman tweeted from the city yesterday: “As first western TV crew to make it to Benghazi we were greeted like liberators, pelted with candy, cheers and thanks. Very humbling.”

The Guardian’s Martin Chulov is there and has been posting updates on Audioboo. ITV News also has a team in the east of the country.