Grace Divet

Media Ethics Cases

1. Summary of Case 4-B What would Socrates have done? The disappearance of Hillary Clinton?
This case study is dealing with the viewing of Osama bin Ladens pictures and videos of where he
was hiding out and the attack. This moment was announced iconic before the video was even
released for a day. They go on talking about the facial expressions of people in the phot that was
taken in the white house as President Barack Obama was surrounded by his cabinet. Hillary
Clinton is targeted in this photo by her expression and shock on her face. Some photos were
then released from this room in the white house but was photo shopped so it was not showing
Hillary Clinton and another woman in the room, this is the disappearance of Hillary Clinton they
are discussing. They photo shopped her out of the phot because of the high value on female
modesty, and this is done in a different newspaper that is presented in Yiddish.
2. Micro Issues Would it have been appropriate for the paper to simply crop the picture on the
right-hand side, thus cutting out the images of Clinton and several others and resulting in a
photograph that focused more specifically on President Obama and Vice President Joe Bidden?
With the cropping of Hillary out of this iconic photo I think it was unnecessary to do this in the
first place. Although, I think with photoshopping the image I think it would have been
appropriate for the paper to simply crop out the right-hand side. It would focus more on the
president and vice presidents intense facial expressions. I dont think it was necessary to just
crop Hillary and the other woman out just because they are females. They say it was because of
the high value of female modesty, but that was her natural reaction to what she was being
shown. Either way cropping just her out or the right hand side I dont believe it was a big issue
the main reason behind this photo is to capture the intense silence and concentration in that
room in the white house at the time history was being made.
3. Mid-Range Issues The doctored photograph was brought to the attention of the wider public
when it was reported critically in other newspapers. What is the role of these other
newspapers with regard to Der Zeitung and readers, viewers, and listeners?
As the phots get more and more popular through the wide public others are going to question
why the photgraph was doctored up. The main reason stated about it being photoshopped for
the Yiddish written paper, Der Zeitung, is due to their religious views. They believe in females
being totally modest meaning they must be dressed head to toe covering their bodies. In other
words just being modest with the way they dress. Even though we may think the two women
were dressed very professionally and modest the other newspaper editors do not think so in this
case. Therefore the readers and viewers may be confused on why the image was doctored but it
is because of their religious views.
4. Macro Issues This same event the death of Osama bin Laden became controversial for another
reason: the white house refused to provide photographs of bin Ladens corpse or his burial at
sea? Some journalists in many countries supported this approach; others disputed it. How
would you analyze the White House approach in your role as journalist? In your role as a
strategic communication professional?
The white house refused to provide any photographs of bin Ladens corpse or his burial at sea. I
think this decision is a very wise one because that is something that can be very disturbing to

some people to watch. I also support this approach because you should be able to believe what
the news tells you, you shouldnt have to have that visual proof. The photo of all of them in the
White House watching the Navy Seals break into the compound bin Laden was in should be
enough truth. Their faces in that photo tell it all by how intense their faces look and their zone
of concentration. Some news stations did show the corpse of bin Laden after he had been shot,
but was not released right away. The history of the killing of Osama bin Laden is history enough,
you dont need tons of pictures of the corpse to tell you it is true.