Alan Kurdi

Module 4

Three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi’s was found dead on a beach in Turkey in 2015. Print and online media were faced with a difficult decision: Should they publish the disturbing image or not? In my view, it was necessary to publish the image.

Photojournalism critics denounce media depiction of suffering as “exploitative, sensational and voyeuristic” (Durham, 2018). The photographers are denounced for posting such pictures and are presented as “vulture, exploiter, leech, manipulator and liar” (Durham, 2018). However, in this case, when Demir, the journalist who took the photographs, her aim was not to exploit or manipulate, but she was “motivated by the need to alert the world to the tragedy” (Durham, 2018).

This picture led to international outrage and led to politicians making statements supporting solving the migrant crisis. As reported, donations to organizations dealing with migrants had increased; in Canada, the Liberal party pledged to bring in 25,000 refugees in the middle of the federal election (Durham, 2018). Similarly, other politicians like France’s prime minister urged for urgent action and “Europe-wide mobilization” (Durham, 2018). This impact was all due to the pictures published by media outlets. This impact had not been possible if they would not have published such photographs. In my view, Demir and other media outlets who had posted such images of a deceased toddler were right. As they believed this picture would alert the world and spread the message regarding the unfolding migrant crisis and how many stakeholders are neglecting it.

Kim Murphy, an assistant editor of The Los Angeles Times, clearly speaks my mind when she was quoted by The New York Times saying,

“The image is not offensive, it is not gory, it is not tasteless — it is merely heartbreaking and stark testimony of an unfolding human tragedy that is playing out in Syria, Turkey and Europe, often unwitnessed” (Mackey, 2015).

In conclusion, if I were an editor, I would publish that picture, too, as my decision would be based on raising awareness for the migrant crisis. By making this decision, I would be caring for Syrian refugees who are suffering at this moment.

References

Durham, M. G. (2018). Resignifying Alan Kurdi: news photographs, memes, and the ethics of embodied vulnerability. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 35(3), 240–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295036.2017.1408958

Mackey, R. (2015, September 3). Brutal Images of Syrian Boy Drowned Off Turkey Must Be Seen, Activists Say. Https://Www.Nytimes.Com/#publisher. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/03/world/middleeast/brutal-images-of-syrian-boy-drowned-off-turkey-must-be-seen-activists-say.html