Two New York tabloid newspapers, the New York Post and the New York Daily News, took the low road on Thursday morning by publishing grisly still images from the video filmed by the gunman who killed two Virginia journalists during a live broadcast the day before.
The Daily News’ cover featured a series of three images from the gunman’s sick video. The first one showed a handgun pointed at WDBJ reporter Alison Parker. The second showed the muzzle flash from the gunshot. The third showed Parker looking at the gunman in horror after she was hit. The headline: “EXECUTED ON LIVE TV.”
The Post, which is known for publishing lurid covers, was only slightly more restrained. It featured a single still image from the gunman’s bodycam video from before Parker noticed the weapon pointed at her. The headline: “TV MURDER: Gunman shoots journalists during live broadcast.”
WARNING: the images on the covers are graphic and disturbing.The Daily News cover can be viewed here and the Post’s cover can be found here.
The Post has a history of showing executions. The tabloid published an image of journalist James Foley’s execution by an Islamic State militant on its front page in August 2014.
To contrast, Virginia newspapers did not show the video stills on their front pages.
Good morning! Today’s Virginian-Pilot front page: pic.twitter.com/1SDMTh3i0A
— The Virginian-Pilot (@PilotNews) August 27, 2015
Today’s front page http://t.co/TKQQgc0OWv #WDBJ #VirginiaShooting pic.twitter.com/7n4PFK092a
— The Roanoke Times (@roanoketimes) August 27, 2015
OK, TPM, so why are you linking to them? And wasn’t the video itself linked on your site yesterday? I don’t think you’re in a position to criticize here.
Everyone needs to re-watch the movie ‘Network’. It predicted present so accurately it is scary.
We spent yesterday listening and reading takes on this pretty ordinary workplace murder because there is film and everybody was saying they wouldn’t show the video, wink, wink, when it was available everywhere. The media was just as bad as the New York tabloids yesterday. Right now TPM is just pushing clicks.
Props to the USA Network for pulling last night’s season finale of “Mr. Robot” which apparently had events in the plotline that mirrored the shootings earlier in the day.
I believe it was linked by a commentator; I don’t remember TPM putting up an article with the actual footage yesterday.
Would you and others complaining about this article, prefer TPM not make any comments on the covers which are receiving resounding negative reactions from across the country? Just pretend they aren’t there?