Posted on 02/03/2006 9:00:56 AM PST by TrebleRebel
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US media has so far largely shied away from reproducing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed carried in several European newspapers, citing the potentially offensive nature of the drawings.
ADVERTISEMENT
Deals released on Feb 1 - Limited Time Offers! Southwest $49* O/W fare sale $49* Las Vegas 3nts + R/T air $304* Flights to Mexico $212* Jamaica 3-nt vacation + R/T air $377 Caribbean hotel deals $55 Win a $5,000 'You'll Love London' Vacation! New Hawaii 5nt air/hotel packages $499* More Deals...
Editors contacted at several news organizations throughout the country said they were covering the escalating row over the cartoons but had generally decided not to reprint them or air them on television out of respect for their readers or viewers.
"If I were faced with something that I know is gonna be offensive to many of our readers, I would think twice about whether the benefit of publication outweighed the offense it might give," Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor at the Washington Post, told AFP.
Keith Richburg, the paper's foreign editor, said he had ruled out running the cartoons, even to better illustrate news articles about the row, as they would likely offend readers.
"This is a clear example where people would find those offensive so we don't see any particular reason to do it just for shock value," he said.
Hiatt and Richburg said the paper had also ruled out running the cartoons -- as several European newspapers have done -- to defend the right to free speech and in solidarity with the Danish newspaper that first published them. The drawings have sparked violent protests and boycotts of Danish products across the Muslim world.
One of the cartoons shows the Muslim prophet wearing a headdress shaped like a bomb, while another shows him saying that paradise is running out of virgins for suicide bombers.
The Islamic religion bans depictions of Mohammed.
Peter Gavrilovich, foreign editor of the daily Detroit Free Press in the state of Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab communities outside the Middle East, said it was out of the question for his paper to reprint the cartoons, either to illustrate the story or to show solidarity with counterparts in Europe.
"I don't think we would run a cartoon in this newspaper that would be deemed offensive to any religious figure," Gavrilovich told AFP. "We're very careful in terms of any photo or any caricature that we run."
Maria Henson, deputy foreign editor at the Sacramento Bee in California, said her publication had not yet decided whether to reprint the cartoons and was planning to run an editorial on the issue this weekend.
The New York Times declined to comment for this article.
CNN television on Thursday showed copies of European newspapers that have printed the cartoons but blocked out the images of Mohammed saying it did not wish to offend viewers.
The television network ABC for its part showed a copy of a French newspaper with one of the cartoons clearly visible. The drawing depicts God speaking with the prophet and telling him: "Stop complaining Mohammed. We've all been caricatured."
The NBC network also gave coverage to the uproar but said it had decided against airing the cartoons, which were nonetheless available on the network's website.
One editorial, written by a syndicated columnist and carried Thursday in several newspapers, defended the cartoons as a form of free expression.
"Until Muslim nations and peoples get the idea that free expression means freedom to offend as well as the necessary correlative -- to be offended -- we have a problem," the editorial, written by Kathleen Parker, said.
EVEN FOX TOOK THE COWARDLY WAY?!!!?
How the mighty have fallen if so.
CNN I can understand because they recycle their video to their other markets. (ie CNNturkey will use the same video) THey are just left wingers anyways.
MSNBC has such low viewership nobody could tell. (run a test pattern and MSNBC could get its ratings up)
I think those cartoons should be plastered all over the internet and on every media when discussing.
Seriously, it is just mohame with a fuse comming out of his head. Islam is as islam does. It was a blood and violence religion at the start, and it is a blood violence religion today.
The only reason any Moslem is upset is because the cartoon speaks the truth. Islam is violence. (not peace and not noble)
and the little scum that penned the cartoon has said "I meant no disrespect to the troops".
Talk about tone deaf....
Screw 'em. This is what happens when you have FReedom.
Interesting thought about the bomb turbin.
WOULD MOHAMED HAVE STRAPPED A HOMICIDE BELT TO HIMSELF?
I think thats a no.
Interesting thought about the bomb turbin.
WOULD MOHAMED HAVE STRAPPED A HOMICIDE BELT TO HIMSELF?
I think thats a no. He would have just had other useful idiots do it. So many centuries so little growth.
They began as a religion of peace and have remained true to their origin.
Compared to this.
Who you gon'na believe, the imam or your lying eyes?
Where was the media when some creep put a crucifix in urine and called it art? Where were the self-righteous leftists when some untalented idiot created an exhibit with The Virgin Mary and elephant dung?
It's just as bad to slime one religion as another.
Sure. Print despicable cartoon ridiculing war veterans without worrying about offending most Americans but shy away from terrorist supporters. What pathetic scum our media are.
Easy answer why.. aBS, cBS, nBS and pBS.. would not like the Muzzies blowing up their stations or targeting their Minions..
Which, by the way, might happen anyway.. they are cowards and the muzzies know it..
The Cindy Sheehan cartoon is the best.
You might want to consult with your colleagues, sir.
Peter Gavrilovich, foreign editor of the daily Detroit Free Press in the state of Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab communities outside the Middle East, said it was out of the question for his paper to reprint the cartoons, either to illustrate the story or to show solidarity with counterparts in Europe. "I don't think we would run a cartoon in this newspaper that would be deemed offensive to any religious figure," Gavrilovich told AFP. "We're very careful in terms of any photo or any caricature that we run."
GOOD POINT
Remember CNN has ALREADY kowtowed to Castro to get their little CNN branch there. (no bad stories there)
Remember CNN was reading IRAQI press releases verbatim to keep their broadcasting priviledges.
It is not about journalism or informing the public, it is about having air time "product" to repackage and distribute.
Have fox or the washington times done anything yet?
Said just 24 hours after running the Amputee photo...Fred Hiatt, you're so full of crap...
-----------------------------------------
The Washington Post Company
1150 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20071
202.334.6000
TWPCoReply@washpost.com
Eric Grant
Director of Public Relations and Contributions
Lisa Bolton
Public Relations Manager
LOSERS!
The only people the media gives absolutely no thought to offending are conservatives.
Roger that ~ the Wash Compost is a wussy, gutless birdcage liner.
TAKE OUT THEIR HOLY SITES!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.