Ethics in Journalism: The Kevin Sites Story.
WARNING: THIS MATERIAL IS VERY GRAPHIC!!!
The footage you see above comes courtesy of Youtube.com. I’m not sure if many of my readers are familiar with this footage, so I will explain. This footage was taken by a Mr. Kevin Sites, who was at the time a freelance reporter with NBC. His job at the time was to shoot ‘pool video‘ (this is where particular journalists are assigned to record footage that can be used by all media professionals who inhabit the pool). Whilst travelling around with US Marines, he happened to capture on film one particular marine shooting an unarmed Iraqi in the head.
At this point, Mr. Sites was faced with a dilemma. Should he release this video on the world, or should he make the video tape disappear, in order to save the career of one of his country’s protectors? In the end, he unleashed it on the world.
During the interview on the above footage, Mr. Sites admits that it was the Internet that was the catalyst in this situation. Due to it’s graphic content, it was rarely broadcast on the news. In the US, the entire footage was cleverly edited, with the brutal act obscured, making it difficult to make out. The rest of the world, however, broadcast the entire footage, realising it’s potential power over the public.
In my opinion, I believe it was the right thing to do and if I was placed in that situation, I would come to the same conclusion. However, 3:18 into the interview, Mr. Sites comments on how this footage has revived his failing career. At this point, I grow suspicious of Mr. Site’s motives. Is he releasing this video for the good of the public, or for the good of his career? And that my friends is the burning question!
I have also uncovered the letter that Mr. Sites wrote to the Marine in question and to his whole outfit, entitled ‘Open Letter to Devil Dogs of the 3.1‘, expressing his reasons for doing what he did, with extracts featured in the video itself.
In my opinion, this is a brilliant example of ethics in online journalism in action. I just hope that Mr. Sites provided the world with this ‘insight’ for all the right reasons.
