Posted on 04/09/2002 6:04:21 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
The Pulitzer committee decided yesterday not to award its prize for last year's best spot news photo to the famed photograph of three firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero, raising questions about whether the judges were put off by the picture's politically incorrect content.
Instead the committee handed the award to a run-of-the-mill photograph of the collapse of the World Trade Center taken by the New York Times, one of dozens of similarly dramatic but virtually indistinguishable shots of the event.
"The Flag Raising at Ground Zero," as the widely celebrated photo is known, appeared on the front page of most American newspapers the day after the 9/11 attacks and has been compared to the famous Pulitzer Prize winning 1945 photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima.
Taken by The Record of North Jersey's Thomas Franklin, the photo was instantly heralded as the most inspirational and dramatic depiction of the Sept. 11 attacks, and was cited last month by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the pre-eminent symbol of American resolve and a sign that the U.S. would prevail in the war on terrorism.
But in December "Flag Raising at Ground Zero" became the subject of controversy, when New York City officials decided to commemorate the event with a statue modeled after Franklin's photo in every respect but one - the races three white firefighters would be changed in the name of ethnic diversity.
The racially charged decision went largely ignored until NewsMax.com broke the media's embargo on the development on Jan. 8, after receiving an e-mail from retired New York City firefighter Kevin O'Kane complaining that the plan had prompted of widespread discontent among the FDNY's rank and file. (See: Racial Changes Made in Ground Zero Firefighter Tribute)
The resulting firestorm of public protest forced the FDNY to scrap plans for the politically correct tribute.
The three firefighters, George Johnson, Billy Eisengrein and Dan McWilliams; along with photographer Franklin, were invited to the White House last month after President Bush personally selected "Flag Raising" for a special issue U.S. postage stamp.
Franklin took the Pulitzer snub in stride yesterday, telling the New York Post, "I'm disappointed but what are you going to do."
Ignore the opinions of the Pulizer committee--that's what--just like you do the Academy Awards. Remember when Talk to the Animals was named the best music of the year or something like that? It's the same thing. Consider the source.
Every since I learned that the pulitzer committee, and therefore the pulitzer award, can be manipulated it has been a non-event for me.
BREAKING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
The New York Times Staff
This photograph (published September 12, 2001) by Kelly Guenther shows the terrorist attack on New York City as the second airplane approaches the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001. The photograph is an example of the work of The New York Times Photo Staff, winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, awarded by Columbia University on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board.
BFD. By the way, is that plagiarist, Doris Kearns Godwin srill on the Pulitzer Committee? Would seem appropriate, dontcha think?
Congressman Billybob
How can reality be politically incorrect. Political correctness is blurred reality. That is, it distorts reality by making things different than they really are. Photos can hardly be politically incorrect. Only the warped concepts of the viewer can alter the politics of reality!
I disagree. The reason political correctness, multiculturalism, affirmative action, etc are foisted upon us, is because we have not spoken out! We need to protest injustices such as this loudly and clearly. Time to call a few talk shows and write to a few newspapers.
It features an American flag and three white firemen. 'Nuff said???
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