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Home Front: WoT
Two lose jobs after photo of soldiers' coffins is published
2004-04-23
Last Sunday a newspaper in Seattle, Washington, published a rare photograph of soldiers' coffins, each of them containing the body of an American who had died in Iraq. The coffins, each draped with the Stars and Stripes, had been loaded into the back of a cargo aircraft for a final journey to the US, where they would be buried. There were at least 18 of them in the picture, which was taken by a 50-year-old civilian contractor, Tami Silicio. On Wednesday Ms Silicio was sacked from her job, for taking the photograph and sharing it with news organisations.
Seems appropriate to me...
Ms Silicio worked for Maytag Aircraft Corporation, which has a $US18 million contract to handle cargo for the US Government at Kuwait airport. As part of that job she would often see soldiers' coffins in the back of aircraft, on their way from Iraq to burial in the US. Earlier this month Ms Silicio decided to photograph the coffins. She asked a friend, Amy Katz, to forward the image to her local newspaper, The Seattle Times. Ms Katz said she was "amazed" when she saw the photo. "I immediately picked up the telephone and because [Ms Silicio] is from Washington state, I called The Seattle Times," she said. "Tami wanted to share the image with the American people."
And get paid for it, of course.
The US military generally bans photographs of soldiers' coffins, and few have been published in US newspapers during the war in Iraq. On Wednesday Ms Silicio engaged an agent, who offered her photograph to newspaper outlets for $1400 for one-time, non-exclusive use.
In the end, it's all about the money.
The editor of the Times, Mike Fancher, said in a column this week that he decided to publish the photograph on the front page because it was "undeniably newsworthy". Readers would have "differing reactions to the photo, depending on their views of the war", he said. The managing editor of The Seattle Times, David Boardman, told the magazine Editor & Publisher this week that "we weren't attempting to convey any sort of political message".
For him, it was all about selling newspapers.
Ms Katz said that after the picture was published Ms Silicio was "called into her supervisor's office and severely reprimanded. She explained why she did it, but they sacked her and her husband [David Landry] too". She said Ms Silicio "really wanted mothers of the soldiers to know how the coffins were handled". In an interview with The Seattle Times, Ms Silicio said the coffins were prayed over and saluted before being shipped. "Everyone salutes with such emotion and respect," she said. "The families would be proud to see their sons and daughters saluted like that."
They know that without you selling your photo for money.
William Silva, the president of Maytag Aircraft, was quoted by The Seattle Times as saying the sackings had been for violating US government and company regulations.
More here.
Posted by:Steve White

#10  I should think, having been in the art world for some time, that the families of the fallen could do something about this, if they are so inclined.

Taking a photograph of a person does not give you the right to use it as you please.

If I take your picture and do not get a model release signed, then I can only use it with your permission. Selling the photo is out of the question and can bring legal action by you against me, for the amount of the sale and any damages deemed appropriate by the court. Maybe they could take the paper to court for publising, as well.

Maybe not.

Posted by: Ben Silver   2004-04-23 4:24:22 PM  

#9  Well the photo made the Tacoma paper's front page this AM. Headline, "War dead photo released, Pentagone slips up as casket images posted on internet."

Go F$ck yourself News Tribune.
Posted by: Lucky   2004-04-23 12:30:49 PM  

#8  Were the photos supposed to rile us against the war? Well I have something to say to the leftist toady and their newly unemployed agents.

1:We knew in our minds eye abount scenes like this. It isn't helping your agenda at all.

2:You think The use of similar images at ground zero at 9/11 are bad because it hurts your agenda.

Screw politics, you guys just want power to f*** things up like you did for 8 years of Clinton where he would only attack Saddam's bad stuff and admit that it was there because of the necessity of diversions.

Let's get to the truth. Our brave folks died there to try to prevent more 9/11s here.

We know that the leftist toady unemployed photographer will find a job quicky in the Kerry campaign, so just shut up, and be satisfied that you breached a moment of privacy for some grieving families. But realize this will have ZERO effect on the presidential campaign. In that you will be sorely disappointed.
Posted by: Anonymous4052   2004-04-23 12:03:58 PM  

#7  as they should - like it or not they broke standing rules on thier company's contract.

plus the fact that this aids and abides our enemy (al-jeeeze).

the us military is top notch on respect!

god bless our men and women.
Posted by: Dan   2004-04-23 11:46:01 AM  

#6  VAMark, yes, he was one of the two fired.
Posted by: Steve White   2004-04-23 11:45:28 AM  

#5  This be our part, for so we serve you best,
So best confirm their prowess and their pride,
Your warrior sons, to whom in this high test
Our fortunes we confide.
-- Owen Seaman, "Pro Patria"
Posted by: mojo   2004-04-23 11:16:52 AM  

#4  Anybody know why they fired the husband, too? I haven't seen any account of this that mentions him being involved.
Posted by: VAMark   2004-04-23 9:27:17 AM  

#3  I'm damn proud of how are soldiers treat our fallen. But I believe when they come off that plane that the only ones who deserve to be there are other soldiers and family of the fallen. Simply showing them lined up, with no distinguishable markings on them takes away the tragedy of each unique person their that died. If you want pictures, go to the funeral, their Honorable 'home-coming' isn't the place.
Posted by: Charles   2004-04-23 2:23:30 AM  

#2  When I saw the picture of the rows of coffins, with the soldier saluting them, the poem "In Flanders Fields" popped into my head.

Some things never change.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-04-23 1:24:41 AM  

#1  Shame on them. One of the Seatle Times editorial guys was on the radio today. He went "quack, quack, quack, thoughtful, quack, quack, respectful, quack, quack, well reasoned, non judgemental, quack, quack, quack. supportive, quack, reverence, quack."
Posted by: Lucky   2004-04-23 1:07:34 AM  

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