9/11 Remembrance: Should the media avoid the "Falling Man" photo?

[tedhowe]

I'd liike to get the reaction of members of this forum regarding the famous (infamous) "Falling Man" photograph of one of the people who jumped/fell from the World Trade Center.

This photo was run on September 12th in papers around the country and around the world and elicited lots of very strong emotion.

Because of the reaction, most newspapers and broadcast media have never run the photo again (even while video of the second plane was played over and over).

Many people felt that it was disrespectful of the person depicted in that photo because he was about to die and it was somehow and "invasion" of his privacy.

I can understand that reaction, but I feel that it is at least somewhat disingenuous. There was no such universal outcry about the video of the second plan crashing into the WTC - and that moment represents the nearly instantaneous death of tens or hundreds of people. I think that intellectually there is no difference between the two, but that emotionally, the ability to see a human form is much more jarring.

I'm not saying that anyone should be "forced" to see picture or that people should be expected to be look at the picture, but I think that it is not the media's responsibility to keep that image from us.

It may have been too soon in the first days or first couple of years for that photograph to be run multiple times, but I believe it should be part of the collective consciousness and remembrance of that day.

I'm in the group that says we dishonor those who died this way if we try to forget about this part of the horror of that day.

I'd like to know what you all think.

FYI if anyone is interested in seeing the photo, there is a copy in the Wikipedia article on this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling_man

There is also a link to an excellent article from Esqiure magazine that was written about 2 years after 9/11 regarding the photo and its legacy.

Ted

 

[transparant]

No. The media should not avoid anything that happened that day.

 

[kdibattista]

No. The media should not avoid anything that happened that day.

I disagree... out of respect for the families of those depicted, I do not think it should be shown. I believe we have enough reminders without showing "everything"

 

[JennyMominRI]

I disagree... out of respect for the families of those depicted, I do not think it should be shown. I believe we have enough reminders without showing "everything"

I'm in the middle.. We absolutely have to remember the horror.. It should never be sugar coated..On the other hand, I feel for the family members who have to watch this stuff over and over again..I feel for the "falling man" (Who had a name that was most likely Jonathan Briley) having to see that over and over..He was not just the *falling man* he was a person with wants and needs and family who loved him and I hate to see him reduced to a symbol, his life remembered as a picture

 

[tedhowe]

I disagree... out of respect for the families of those depicted, I do not think it should be shown. I believe we have enough reminders without showing "everything"

I could understand that if the photo was of someone clearly identifiable, but the identity of the "falling man" has never been definitely established.

There have been a number of possibilities over the years and there is one likely candidate, but it is not certain (nor is it likely to ever be confirmed).

Would your reaction be different if the identity was definitely known and the family said they wanted the photo to be shown?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm in the middle.. We absolutely have to remember the horror.. It should never be sugar coated..On the other hand, I feel for the family members who have to watch this stuff over and over again..I feel for the "falling man" (Who had a name that was most likely Jonathan Briley) having to see that over and over..He was not just the *falling man* he was a person with wants and needs and family who loved him and I hate to see him reduced to a symbol, his life remembered as a picture

So well put. I too am in the middle on what the media "should" do. I know I will be avoiding that photo in particular and others I'm sure. I don't have to see the photo to be reminded of that day. It's emblazoned in my memory.

 

[Hannathy]

I think all the horrors of that day should be shown. By sanitizing the news it makes it too easy for people to minimize the situation we were and continue to be in. People also need to see what the monsters are capable of doing.



Would the Holocaust be so horrid to people if we had never seen the piles of bodies or the walking skeletons? Or would it be able to be dismissed by the masses?

 

[JunieJay]

I don't think the picture should be censored. Many people jumped to their deaths that horrible day, the story could not and should not be told without acknowledging those brave souls.

I know it has to be so difficult on those with loved ones there though. For that reason, I'm torn.

I remember looking at the people jumping and thinking it was birds. Its one of the most vivid memories I have of that day, watching the "birds" fly out of the burning building and at what point I figured out it wasn't birds but people.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I watched a special on that picture last night.
It was upsetting to see.
I really don't know if they should show or not.

 

[monarchsfan16]

No. The media should not avoid anything that happened that day.

I agree

 

[CapeCodTenor]

As much as it pains me to see that photo again, I think we should see it. We need to be reminded of the horror of that day so we won't allow something like this to happen again.

 

[java]

I remember looking at the people jumping and thinking it was birds. Its one of the most vivid memories I have of that day, watching the "birds" fly out of the burning building and at what point I figured out it wasn't birds but people.

My BIL talks about that as well. He was a Transit Cop at the time. Lucky to be alive.

 

[reeeoga]

Do we edit the pictures or coverage of World War II and what the Nazis did? Do we Edit what Pol Pott did? Do we edit the coverage of any of the other "events" in history that evoc horror?

We need to be reminded of what happened in all it horror. We need to be reminded of what a SMALL number of Nut Jobs can do. What we do not need is 24/7 In-Your-Face coverage. An occasinal view is suffecient when made in contects. The History channel does a very good job of showing what happend during WWII and other events. They show enough to get the point across, without being over the top.

Can the media do that? I don't think so.

 

[DawnCt1]

No. The media should not avoid anything that happened that day.

I agree with you. The identity of the man was never made public. He was forced into a choice by murderous monsters, that no human being should ever have to make; "how shall I die". He exerted his last ounce of control.

 

[Freyja]

I'd liike to get the reaction of members of this forum regarding the famous (infamous) "Falling Man" photograph of one of the people who jumped/fell from the World Trade Center.

This photo was run on September 12th in papers around the country and around the world and elicited lots of very strong emotion.

Because of the reaction, most newspapers and broadcast media have never run the photo again (even while video of the second plane was played over and over).

Many people felt that it was disrespectful of the person depicted in that photo because he was about to die and it was somehow and "invasion" of his privacy.

I can understand that reaction, but I feel that it is at least somewhat disingenuous. There was no such universal outcry about the video of the second plan crashing into the WTC - and that moment represents the nearly instantaneous death of tens or hundreds of people. I think that intellectually there is no difference between the two, but that emotionally, the ability to see a human form is much more jarring.

I'm not saying that anyone should be "forced" to see picture or that people should be expected to be look at the picture, but I think that it is not the media's responsibility to keep that image from us.

It may have been too soon in the first days or first couple of years for that photograph to be run multiple times, but I believe it should be part of the collective consciousness and remembrance of that day.

I'm in the group that says we dishonor those who died this way if we try to forget about this part of the horror of that day.

I'd like to know what you all think.

FYI if anyone is interested in seeing the photo, there is a copy in the Wikipedia article on this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling_man

There is also a link to an excellent article from Esqiure magazine that was written about 2 years after 9/11 regarding the photo and its legacy.

Ted

Just wanted to mention that European media has shown the "falling man" almost everytime they show pictures from the towers that day. I can´t count how many times I have seen that "scene" since it happened.

 

[Buckalew11]

I think it is just so heartwrenching...

 

[T1130]

I too am on the fence about it. I firmly believe that we should never forget the events of that day. I also believe it should be a national day of mourning. And schools and busnesses should be closed.

This morning I had a meet the teacher at my dd school. The meeting went right through 2 moments of silence.
As for the falling man photo every since I saw it it has been on my mind. How bad were things in those buildings that people had to make a choice to stay or to jump to their deaths.

 

[GeorgeG]

I, too, am torn on this one. I agree we need to never forget, but I also feel very strongly that we should not need graphic reminders to do so.

Unfortunately, after a few months of shock and horror, many Americans put it all behind them and simply went about their lives wanting to believe it never happened. While we do need to get on with our lives, we need even more to remember that our lives are never going to be the same. It's so easy to slip into denial and pretend we're all okay, but we still have serious problems that tend to be clouded by the politics of the day.

So, I suppose if seeing all those graphic reminders jogs a few memories, it could be worthwhile.

 

[babieemelly]

I don't think the media should use that photo at all. Everyone knows what happened that day, and saying that people jumped from the buildings should be enough. It's very easy for the media to take advantage of the situation. On September 12, the cover of the newspaper featured a huge picture of my friend Diana's uncle. He was a firefighter, and someone jumped from the building and landed on him, and the media felt the need to put it front and center. We KNEW what was going on that day, it was all over the news, and there was no need for my friend and her family to have their uncle's horrible, disturbing situation plastered on the cover of the newspaper for the world to see. It was very upsetting and disrespectful. I can see where people are coming from by saying that the picture should be shown, but it's a completely different situation when it's someone you knew.

 

[transparant]

I don't think the media should use that photo at all. Everyone knows what happened that day, and saying that people jumped from the buildings should be enough. It's very easy for the media to take advantage of the situation. On September 12, the cover of the newspaper featured a huge picture of my friend Diana's uncle. He was a firefighter, and someone jumped from the building and landed on him, and the media felt the need to put it front and center. We KNEW what was going on that day, it was all over the news, and there was no need for my friend and her family to have their uncle's horrible, disturbing situation plastered on the cover of the newspaper for the world to see. It was very upsetting and disrespectful. I can see where people are coming from by saying that the picture should be shown, but it's a completely different situation when it's someone you knew.

Yeah but you know and I know....but there are our children who should know about it and not forget either. There are still pictures shown from Pearl Harbor so that this generation will always remember. Same as the Holocaust.