War also means dead soldiers

Cotidianul has declared "war on censorship, and published the photo of Joshua Bernard, 21, an American soldier shot in Afghanistan, on its front page. "In a war, politicians, public authorities and the general public prefer to ignore realities that raise painful questions and the issue of their responsibility." The Romanian daily argues that "it is better to confront the truth." Cotidianul took the decision to run its front page in response to the controversy which has surrounded the publication of the photo by Associated Press (AP) on 7 September. The American Secretary for Defense had asked AP not to publish the series of photos which included the picture of the dying Joshua Bernard. Since 9/11 the American government has asked media not to publish pictures of dead or dying soldiers. AP refused to cooperate, and instead opted to raise awareness of all the victims of war, including soldiers. For Cotidianul, the pictures "have launched a debate that could have a real impact on the behaviour of the media."