With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Michelle Lohman
ml272105@ohio.edu


It's beyond brave, admirable, and dutiful for any member of the press to venture into the Middle East - specifically, Iraq. They are preforming an activity that many would shy away from, however, like my title says, "with great power, comes great responsibility". The responsibility I am suggesting is that of reporting and presenting the truth to the reader. Even though the picture submitted to the LA Times by Walski was two real images merged together, it led or could have led the reader to misinterpret the action being presented. While Walski's apology was legitimate and heartfelt, the Times cannot risk their reputation over a photograph, especially with the variety of stakeholders involved - most importantly, their readers.

It's a shame that someone as talented as Walski loses his career over one incident. However, when you are in the journalism business, truth is everything. While he was fatigued and that could have led to the mid judgment of the situation, that will not and does not outweigh how the public would respond/feel if they were to find out that the images had been doctored in anyway. Especially with a topic, such as Iraq, that hits so close to home.