Controversy continues to swirl around President Barack Obama's decision not to release photos of slain terrorist Osama bin Laden, saying that to do so could be seen as inflammatory. The photos pit the public's right to know against the chief executive's responsibility to keep that same public safe.
Here's my take: Release the photos to the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Pentagon or some other secure federal repository. Those who wish to view the photos must request a viewing in writing 90 days in advance, must undergo a background check and must be granted a security clearance from the repository.
Before actually viewing the photos, the person must undergo a pat down to ensure they are not in possession of any recording devices, view the photos in a secured room under the watchful eyes of an armed guard, and must be re-frisked when they leave the room.
This will separate those who have a historic, journalistic or intellectual interest in the photos from yahoos with nothing better to do. What's your take?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Live Blogging Osama bin Laden's Slaying
Aspiring online journalists got a real-life lesson in the power of Twitter in the news coverage of the slaying of Osama bin Laden. With news reports that a Twitter user in Abbottabad, Pakinstan unsuspectingly live blogged the takedown of the U.S.'s public enemy number one, students learned the power they hold in thier hands: social networks are just as powerful as news media networks.
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