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

[JennyMominRI]

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.

Your right on this one , and I know that..I just ache for that man when I see that pic and I hate the he has been reduced to that single picture....I feel the same way about a few other famous pics like the Napalm girl and the man being excuted in vietnam..I just hate to see someones entire life reduced to one picture..I do understand the reason for it..Maybe that's the whole point though..That all of those lives, in one day , in one hour really, became something else, all because of one despicable act

 

[transparant]

Maybe that's the whole point though..That all of those lives, in one day , in one hour really,became something else, all becauseof one despicable act

That statement just gave me chills and bought tears to my eyes.

 

[Mean Queen]

I think the only reason to show that picture again is if it is relevant to the story. So if they are writing about that man who fell or something else related, I think it is fine to show the picture. Otherwise, if they're just showing it as generic 9/11 video, they're doing it to be sensational... not journalistic. (This is from a former TV news producer who left because of the lack of journalism in todays news.)

 

[babieemelly]

I think the only reason to show that picture again is if it is relevant to the story. So if they are writing about that man who fell or something else related, I think it is fine to show the picture. Otherwise, if they're just showing it as generic 9/11 video, they're doing it to be sensational... not journalistic. (This is from a former TV news producer who left because of the lack of journalism in todays news.)

That's exactly it. My father also works in TV, but he does graphics instead of news production. These days, all the "news" cares about is sensationalism. They want to be the ones to get the most shocking pictures/stories in order to get people talking.

There are so many pictures and tons of video from that day. There's a difference between children learning about it from watching the towers collapse, than there is from completely disrespecting and demeaning the lives of the people lost and their families all in the name of sensationalism. Of course 9/11 affected the entire country, but it greatly affected the lives of the people here in NY. I know a good twenty people who died on that day, and pictures like that are nothing but exploitation. It's easy to say that you need pictures like that in order to remember what happened, but can you imagine if it was a picture of your son/husband/father jumping from the building, or crushed on the ground? It's not something that's easy to see, and there's no need for it to be shown.

 

[OK!]

I watched the documentary last night on the Discovery Times (IIRC) channel last night about the photographer (who was an AP guy, so he wasn't shooting to sell a specific newspaper or for a specific network, FWIW) and about the subsequent search (by a journalist from a Canadian newspaper, The Globe & Mail) for the identity of the victim. I understood the need for the picture's having been taken...if nothing else, it was news and it does serve to humanize the tragedy and to remind people that these were living, working, breathing human beings who were killed that day. Obviously, on the surface of things, we all know that there were thousands of people lost, but the sheer enormity of what happened can be such that the individuals themselves are lost. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else but me, but seeing that program last night was profoundly moving for me.

That said, I don't think it was necessary at all to attempt to determine the identity of the specific individual who was the "falling man." Maybe that pushes things, emotionally, over the line from it being a humanizing image to being simply too overwhelming to process. It makes you stop and consider that this was someone's son or brother or father or uncle or friend who had to stop and consciously decide that his best option under those circumstances was to jump. I can't even begin to wrap my mind around it, but at least one man who was interviewed for the program who'd seen a series of pictures of someone he was convinced was his wife was happy to have seen them. It gave him something to hold onto, and it seemed to bring him at least a semblance of peace to know that even though things had spiraled so horribly out of control, his wife had seized control of her fate at the last minute.

I don't know. I don't know that I would necessarily want to know that type of thing about someone I loved, because I know that that'd be an image on which I would fixate, and that's not what I'd want to remember about someone. But it's not my place to judge what may bring a sense of peace to others.

 

[tedhowe]

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.

This is one of the reasons that I started this thread.

On 9/11/01 my DW was pregnant with our first daughter. She was an independent consultant and was home that day. When she called me, I came home and we sat and watched events unfold that day together.

I remember thinking at that moment about our unborn child and I knew the day would come when the questions about 9/11 would arrive from her.

Yesterday, DD (who is now 5.5 and has just started kindergarten) asked if the war in Iraq is "our war" where her cousin Danny is serving. I told her it was, and she seemed to let it drop.

This morning, at the breakfast table she started one of those conversations that as a parent I knew I would have to have with her one day: she said that she didn't want to die. I fumbled a bit and tried my best to assure her that, although everyone will die eventually, that was a long way off and she didn't have to worry about dying any time soon.

It hasn't happened yet, but DD is very bright and picks up on a lot at this point, so the 9/11 questions may come this week - or we may be spared for another year or so.

I think it is important that we be able to share this experience with our children in the years to come. I had not seen the falling man photo since the days after 9/11 six years ago. I heard it mentioned on the radio this morning, and I checked for it online at Wikipedia. Maybe in this day and age of the internet, it does not need to be broadcast by the networks or printed in the papers. I'm glad it is out there on the internet and available.

It hurts to remember that day. It was truly a loss of innocence for America and americans in so many ways. I would not share the falling man photo with DD at this age - nor any of the other photos and video about that day. I'm not sure when I will want to do that - it's probably sooner than I would want to because she will see those images in the media some day, and I want that first exposure to be with my wife and me helping her to process what she is seeing.

I've rambled enough - thanks to all who have responded for your thoughts. Its times like this I really appreciate the people on this forum who are willing to sincerely discuss topics.

Ted

 

[tinkerbell1967]

I think it should be shown, it is now part of what happened that day and history. To many people have forgotten what did happen that day. I think the media and the public now block it out of there minds, I for one will not forget that day!

 

[Cool-Beans]

Your right on this one , and I know that..I just ache for that man when I see that pic and I hate the he has been reduced to that single picture....I feel the same way about a few other famous pics like the Napalm girl and the man being excuted in vietnam..I just hate to see someones entire life reduced to one picture..I do understand the reason for it..Maybe that's the whole point though..That all of those lives, in one day , in one hour really, became something else, all because of one despicable act

Yes, that's the point. I can't believe anyone would just now be figuring out that all kinds of people, who led all kinds of lives were murdered that day. I'm fairly certain everyone got that six years ago.

I don't see any reason to censor the photo.

 

[TLHB70]

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.

I completely agree. I have often wondered why we do not make it an annual national day of mourning/remembrance and close schools, banks, businesses, etc.
I am glad to see that I am not alone in my thoughts. Maybe one day it will happen.

 

[tedhowe]

I completely agree. I have often wondered why we do not make it an annual national day of mourning/remembrance and close schools, banks, businesses, etc.
I am glad to see that I am not alone in my thoughts. Maybe one day it will happen.

I'm not sure I would want that. I think that moments of silence/annual remembrance ceremonies are enough.

To me making it a day of mourning/remembrance is turning over too much power to the terrorists. It seems too much like wallowing in the "victim-ness" of the events.

Memorial Day is about remembering bravery and strength of our armed forces. A national day of mourning would to me remember the powerlessness that we felt that day.

 

[wvjules]

I completely agree. I have often wondered why we do not make it an annual national day of mourning/remembrance and close schools, banks, businesses, etc.
I am glad to see that I am not alone in my thoughts. Maybe one day it will happen.

Why does it need to be a day off ? September 11 should not be a national holiday.

 

[Darth Cupcake]

I completely agree. I have often wondered why we do not make it an annual national day of mourning/remembrance and close schools, banks, businesses, etc.
I am glad to see that I am not alone in my thoughts. Maybe one day it will happen.

ITA. I hope someday soon Sept 11th will be a National day of remembrance.

 

[TLHB70]

I'm not sure I would want that. I think that moments of silence/annual remembrance ceremonies are enough.

To me making it a day of mourning/remembrance is turning over too much power to the terrorists. It seems too much like wallowing in the "victim-ness" of the events.

Memorial Day is about remembering bravery and strength of our armed forces. A national day of mourning would to me remember the powerlessness that we felt that day.

I understand that. Maybe calling it "Day of Mourning" would symbolize powerlessness/victim-ness. However, I still think it should be set aside for a day of national remembrance and close schools, businesses, etc.

 

[goaliewife]

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

I agree. Do I enjoy seeing that photo - NO; but, we become to complacent and WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET what happened that day and how horrible this masacre was.

I am of the opinion that if you don't want to watch it, don't. Same as anything that is on TV or in the papers. That is your choice, as it is mine to watch and remember.

 

[Jennasis]

I think it would be appropriate as is the video of the buildings burning/collapsing or the shot of the place crashing into the tower.

When I was working in news (coincidentally ON that very day) as a cameraman and a video editor, we were actually given very specific instructions on what could and could not be shown. We were NOT to show any bodies...ever...be they falling or already on the ground.

One of my fellow photographers recounted that day to me. He wa at the base of the towers shooting video of the chaos and kept hearing a loud thumping sound. He turned around to see what it was to find that it was the bodies of the "jumpers" hitting the ground just feet away from him. He has video of it..only because his camera was rolling when he turned around. He refuses to watch it and the station never used the video.

Conversely, back when that Avianca flight crashed on the North Shore of Long Island, one of teh very first to arrive on scene (even before any emergency workers) was one of our stations photographers. The firefighters who were there were desperate to try to save anyone on board but it was pitch black outside and within the mangled craft. So they asked the photographer to come into the plane and use his camera light to illuminate the rescue effort. What my friend described seeing was unimaginable. He was rolling tape at the time he entered, because he hadn't expected the carnage he found. While that tape still exists too, he will never watch it and the footage was never shown.

I agree the media is a LOT about sensationalism, but on some things, they do edit. Now, if they are to show something graphic, they usually warn the viewers first.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Since we were in WDW parks on 9/11 & did not have access to TV right away once we finally learned of the events, I never saw photos of jumpers.

I just clicked th Wiki link & then another link at the bottom of Wiki. I did not know that 200 people jumped. One photo showing all the people crowding the windows of a few stories really got to me.

 

[TLHB70]

Why does it need to be a day off ? September 11 should not be a national holiday.

That is just my opinion and desire. I am not talking about a national holiday with celebrations at all. I just mean a national remembrance day. I don't think we should ever forget that day.

 

[tedhowe]

I understand that. Maybe calling it "Day of Mourning" would symbolize powerlessness/victim-ness. However, I still think it should be set aside for a day of national remembrance and close schools, businesses, etc.

That I can understand a little bit more. But I don't think is should be 9/11 - probably shouldn't even be near September in the calendar. I think there are a lot of other tragic/horrible incidents in our history that deserve remembrance and having it in September would just dominate the others and become all about 9/11

Also, though you can close schools/government offices, you can't mandate that private businesses close. How many of the official holidays these days are not observed by the private sector - they become just one more opportunity for sales. This is even true of Memorial day which is more remembered as "the unofficial start of summer" than as a day to remember those who fought for our freedoms.

Maybe the subject matter of a day of remembrance would limit the commercialization.

In Philadelphia (and other areas as far as I know) Martin Luther King day has been pretty successfully turned into a day of service. Community leaders were dismayed that it was just another day off for kids, and they started a campaign to get the children involved in community service projects on the day off from school. It has grown enough that now thousands of kids get involved in these projects each year.

Still, I think it would be something that needs a lot of thought before we would start a day of remembrance. I think it is still too soon after 9/11/01 to really institute something like that.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I'm not sure I would want that. I think that moments of silence/annual remembrance ceremonies are enough.

To me making it a day of mourning/remembrance is turning over too much power to the terrorists. It seems too much like wallowing in the "victim-ness" of the events.

Memorial Day is about remembering bravery and strength of our armed forces. A national day of mourning would to me remember the powerlessness that we felt that day.

But on the flip side it would give those of us who did lose somebody in the attacks the opportunity to do what we need to do for ourselves, without worrying about missed classes, or time off from work. I was 14 when I lost my aunt in the attacks. On each anniversary I'm expected in classes, ready to learn. I'm now in college, and am trying desperately to keep it together, because once again, I'm expected in classes. Would friends help me catch up on work missed if I skipped a class? Sure, but it's only the second week of classes. Not an ideal time to miss. Not to mention I'd much rather be at home, with family that's feeling the same thing I am, than here at school with a bunch of people that clearly have no clue what day it is. That being said, as much as a national day of mourning would I'm sure be a huge help to thousands, it'd probably be turned into one more day for the "biggest sale of the year" and for one last barbecue before summer truly ends, which wouldn't be right at all.
And for all of those saying that showing the falling man is unacceptable, but that showing the burning buildings isn't, what's the difference? Yes, it's one man, rather than a building, but we all KNOW that there were thousands in those buildings. Yes, there is most certainly a family out there that knows that when they see that picture they're seeing a loved one jumping to his death. But there are thousands more that know they're watching their loved ones burn to death, whenever they see the burning towers. It's something that needs to be shown. As much as we don't want to, we need to remember the raw feelings of that day. That's not giving in to the terrorists. By remembering the deepest emotions of the day, we can hopefully avoid slipping back into our old ways and prevent it from happening again.

 

[tedhowe]

I just clicked th Wiki link & then another link at the bottom of Wiki. I did not know that 200 people jumped. One photo showing all the people crowding the windows of a few stories really got to me.

Not that it's entirely relevant, but 200 is at the upper limit of the estimates. Nobody will really even know how many people jumped, but there were many. I think the estimates of 50-60 are probably low. 200 might be high, but is not unimaginable.

My guess is that it was probably between 100 and 200 somewhere.