Kaus supports Goldberg

Mickey Kaus joins Jonah Golberg in arguing that CBS should not have showed the photos of the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, against Howard Kurtz's hysterical response. Bravo.

What is the point of broadcasting such explosive photos other than to get a scoop? The story was already there and nobody in the media was covering it, but the photos made it sensational. Remember, these are the same people who look down their noses at Fox News and tabloid journalism.

Goldberg's piece is a masterpiece of deconstruction, making a compelling case that using the photos is worse than illegal, it's bad journalism and hypocritical in the extreme given past journalistic practices:

When shocking images might stir Americans to favor war, the Serious Journalists show great restraint. When those images have the opposite effect, the Ted Koppels let it fly.

Kurtz seems not to have thought about whether sensationalizing a four month-old story was a good idea in terms of our national interest, the lives of people like Nick Berg, the effect what we're trying to accomplish in Iraq and in the war against terrorism.

Of course, the bitter irony of accusations that General Myers' request that CBS not use the photos amounted to "suppression" and "coverup" seems to have been ignored, especially when his reason, that it might cost the life of an American hostage, was born out by events. I guess a man's life can't stand in the way of a good story. Goldberg's piece was published before the hideous video of Berg's muder was posted on the internet, so you can add that irony to the mix, too. The irresponsibility increases with the irony.

I've heard a number of journalists dismiss the connection, but I can't. The terrorists may have killed Berg anyway, as they did Danny Pearl, since no one could give in to their demands, but remember that a previous hostage escaped. Where there's life, there's hope.


Update: Wretchard at Belmont Club makes the case against publishing the photos, as well. Unfortunately, Andrew Sullivan and the ombudsman of the Washington Post seem to think the public interest is served by dumping all the horrors on us. That could backfire big time on the antiwar crowd as people troubled by the war see Al Zarqawi holding up the severed head of Nick Berg.