THE OMBUDSMAN
Headlines, photos, and grief
IN WASHINGTON, debate swirls over what President Bush knew of Al Qaeda's pre-9/11 activities and when he knew it. In the om-
Critics had no problem with the story but said the headline, which is all some people read, made it sound like Bush knew enough of the 9/11 terrorist attack in time to stop it. "I was appalled" at the headline, e-mailed reader Jeff Schwartz. "I am truly undecided on the pros and cons of the administration's handling of the months leading up to 9/11. Your headline led one to believe there had been some nefarious cover-up, now come to the light of day, that Bush had known all along about the `steps' leading up to the attack and should have, could have, prevented same . . . Shame on your headline writer . . ." "This is over-the-top sensationalism," wrote Paul Daly. "Someone who will just glance at the headline . . . assumes that Bush knew of every detailed step for 9/11 attacks." A caller from Milton said the headline was discussed at Easter dinner, and seen as fresh evidence of the Globe's anti-Bush bias. Another reader, Edward Friedman, echoed that suspicion, adding: "You should avoid putting slanted headlines on top of articles that are not consistent with the headlines." I'd say it's more a matter of a vague word spawning different interpretations. The memo did describe Qaeda steps -- such as a bin Laden cell's recruitment of American Muslim youths in New York, and surveillance of federal buildings there -- but in the context of a 9/11 headline, "steps" could (and, obviously, for certain readers, did) imply something more hijacking-specific. Ironically, that was just the sort of misinterpretation headline writers were trying to avoid. "We did not want to make it look as though Bush had been specifically warned of the attack that occurred on 9/11/01," said Sunday editor Ellen Clegg. "That's why we used the word `steps' -- by definition, a stage in a process. We rejected words such as `plan' and `plot' and `threat.' We thought the word `steps' accurately described the incremental nature of the Al Qaeda activity described in the memo." The headline didn't bother me when I read it, but I can see why some other papers took a more literal approach, such as "The briefing on bin Laden" or "2001 Memo: Al Qaeda in US." What those main headlines may have lacked in liveliness, they gained in unassailability. From headlines to photos The Page 1 photo on April 9 of Marines praying over the body of a fallen comrade brought only a few complaints. But because the callers were Marines heading to Iraq, their views carried special weight.Their opinion was informed by the realities of war and personal sacrifice in a way not possible for the rest of us. They saw it through their own filter -- and to them, the photo was disrespectful and in poor taste. "I understand that the news is news, but I don't think it's necessary to show a young Marine . . . dead, on the front of the paper," said Sergeant Geoffrey Coffin. From Lance Corporal Jeff Peddar: "I don't feel you have to show a dead man's body to get people to be antiwar . . . If you were over there in Iraq, would you want that to be your family's last memory of you?" "It's very hurtful," said Lance Corporal Chad Franz, who said his fiance was upset by the image. "The message you were trying to send could have been sent a different way," concluded Corporal Andrew Galonzka.All four are from the Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, based at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee. They represented the bulk of the complaints about the photo, although a few non-Marines sent the same message.
US Marines prayed over a comrade after he died of wounds suffered in fighting in Fallujah. (AP Photo/ Murad Sezer) From my more distant (and safe) vantage point, the photo had a different message, one of respect and sadness. That is also how the Globe's photo directors saw it. It was "a very moving, emotional, respectful moment and really `brought home' the reality of the situation in Iraq," said Paula Nelson, deputy director of photography. "I think this photo touched many people's deepest emotions about the reality of war, whether in support of the action in Iraq or not. It was a photo that the management team felt very strongly had to be shown."Not everyone from Squadron 472 objected to the photo. Staff Sergeant Patrick Robb, who is responsible for the men who will be deployed in June to prepare for departure to Iraq, said the image's sobering reality served one important purpose: "It helps my guys take their training seriously." Now they know, he said, "that this is the real deal."
The ombudsman represents the readers. Her opinions and conclusions are her own. Phone 617-929-3020 or, to leave a message, 929-3022. Our e-mail address is ombud@globe.com. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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