FRIDAY'S LETTERS: Integrity and Photojournalism, a Standard Definition of Torture, Clone Mike Royko

By: E&P Staff In today's letters, a photojournalist researches the veracity of news photographs and comes to the conclusion that many of his collegues lack integrity, readers react to Greg Mitchell's column about losing a friend in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and a Mike Royko fan suggests the famous Vietnam-era writer be cloned.

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Integrity and Photojournalism

As a professional photojournalist, I place the highest priority on the integrity of the visual information I provide. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about most of my colleagues.

For the last 12 years I have been researching and documenting with incontrovertible proof how "news photographs" were mis-used and manipulated to portray a biased, inaccurate account of events in the Balkan wars. I have collected over 100 of these types of images -- from the biggest names in photojournalism and the world press. These individuals and publications have collected awards, paychecks, and built their careers on mis-representations and even sheer fabrications.

The investigations into the image and media manipulation in Lebanon were brought up on photojournalism websites. And the reaction? Silenced outright; shot down in flames. The photojournalism community flat out refuses to review the countless cases where we have been manipulated and used as tools in sophisticated propaganda -- commonly by the Palestinians, Hezbollah, Bosnian Muslims, and Kosovo Albanians. To do so would undermine the very thin illusion of credibility we endow ourselves with. And think of all the winners of Pulitzers, Pictures of the Year, World Press, et al who would have to fess up.

I have been writing to photojournalism organizations for years to address these issues, but have almost always met with either silence, or blanket excuses that we're all "professionals doing our best in a confusing world" and thanks very much for the call, period. What I have found from 13 years of covering world news in 24 countries is that most news photographers, despite their protestations, want dramatic pictures, money, and accolades from their peers.

Russell Gordon


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Standardize the Definition of 'Torture'

Good for the President and his administration to ask Congress to define "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating -- and degrading treatment." President Bush is only asking Congress what tactics may be legal under this vague criteria. Define the tactics in law for the world to see. After the U.S. defines and codifies the legal tactics our agents can use, then let other countries do the same.

It is mystifying why the Senate Armed Services Committee wanted the U.S. Army to spell out its tactics in their new interrogation manual, yet refuse to do the same for our intel agents in the field.

Common Article III is vague precisely because people have different standards. Let's get all those standards in writing so we know what our Special Forces Soldiers will be up against if captured.

Lt. Col. Michael Birmingham
U.S. Army


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Appreciation for Greg Mitchell's Column on 9/11

Amazing piece. Thank you.

George Waters
Pasadena, Calif.



Thank you for your vivid, touching, and moving story written through your eyes, five years ago. I feel as if I was there walking through that horrific scene in New York City that day. You painted the picture, the horrors, confusion, and hurt you felt.

Only hours after the two planes hit the two World Trade Center towers, my granddaughter was born in Yuma, Arizona. Her name is Hope and she turned five years old September 11, 2006. Her strong spirit is the first thing you'd be aware of if you met Hope, even before her beautiful face, twinkling dark brown eyes and a big head of curly brown hair. Hope needs to know the truth about everything. She wants reality, not some made-up version. Her existence helps me cope with the horrific events in NYC on September 11, 2001.

Kathryn Mora


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Clone Royko!

Thanks for the Royko column. Like you, I missed many of them due to geography. When in California, we made many copies of the "build a wall around California to keep the residents in" (paraphrasing), and distributed his "short Greek" restaurant manager column to friends in the business.

If cloning ever becomes commonplace, I hope Royko is brought back gratis. He'd probably hate it, but we need his voice.

Bob Lambert