White House to Withhold Osama bin Laden Photos

The Takeaway

The White House has announced that it will not release photos of Osama bin Laden’s death. Quoting the transcript of President Obama’s upcoming interview with 60 Minutes, set to air this Sunday, White House Spokesperson Jay Carney told reporters that, “It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to further violence or as a propaganda tool.” Some very graphic photos from the raid have already been published by The Guardian. Is the release of graphic photos a good idea?   To discuss the administration’s decision to withhold photos of Osama bin Laden’s body, we speak with  Fred Ritchin, professor of Photography and Imaging at at New York University, and author of “After Photography.”
Fred Ritchin was the photo editor at The New York Times Magazine from 1978 — 1982.

Less than .05% of listeners will donate. Can we count on you?

Our coverage reaches millions each week, but only a small fraction of listeners contribute to sustain our program. We still need 224 more people to donate $100 or $10/monthly to unlock our $67,000 match. Will you help us get there today?