Military bans photos of slain troops in part of Afghanistan
The U.S. military has banned journalists embedded with troops in eastern Afghanistan from photographing military personnel killed in combat.
Daryl Lang writes on the Photo District News web site — pdnonline.com:
“Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action,” says a ground rules document issued Sept. 15 by Regional Command East at Bagram Air Field.
This language is new. A version of the same document dated July 23 says, “Media will not be prohibited from covering casualties” as long as a series of conditions are met.
Pictures of American military deaths are rare, but until now they have not been officially banned during either of the ongoing wars.
…Based on a review of other embed agreements, the ban issued in early September appears to be unique to the U.S. operation in eastern Afghanistan.
The rules change may have been resulted from a photo of a dying U.S. Marine that was distributed in early September by the Associated Press. Lang describes the circumstances:
The image, which was shot Aug. 14 by AP photographer Julie Jacobson, was released as part of a package of stories and photos about the death of Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard. Both U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Bernard’s family had asked the AP not to release the photo. Few newspapers published the image, but it was widely circulated online.
The Associated Press deliberated for three weeks before deciding to release the photo. Gates called that decision appalling and wrote in a letter to AP:
“Your lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple American newspapers is appalling.
“The issue here is not law, policy or constitutional right — but judgment and common decency.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch did not publish the photo.
Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
They should have told that to Matthew Brady at Antietam, the place was a slaughter house.
I abhor how both politicians and the media have been using these pictures for agenda purposes. For decency purposes, these pictures should be private unless the soldier or their family consents to their publication.
Having two sons-in-law, and now a grandson in the service, I would not like to have some photojournalist who would try to “scoop” the competition rushing to release a photo of a soldiers body. Especially if the family has yet to be notified formally and officially.
Neither “national security” nor “military concerns” should even be involved. It should always be the family’s choice.
Steve, seems this policy has been updated since your initial post, as reported by Don Winslow on the News Photographer / NPPA website:
http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2009/10/embed2.html
According to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Thomas Clementson:
“14. Media will not be prohibited from viewing or filming casualties; however, casualty photographs showing recognizable face, nametag or other identifying feature or item will not be published. In respect to our family members, names, video, identifiable written/oral descriptions or identifiable photographs of wounded service members will not be released without the service member’s prior written consent. If the service member dies of his wounds, next-of-kin reporting rules then apply. Media should contact the PAO for release advice.”
From what reporting I’ve seen, this is an Eastern Regional Command policy for Afghanistan, not one uniformly applied thought the US military.
Afghanistan has no American soldiers. Obozo said he was going to bring all the troops home once he was elected. Another lie.