Al-Qaida posted a video on
militant websites yesterday of Warren Weinstein, a 70-year old American
contractor working in Pakistan for the American aid program. Weinstein has been
missing since gunmen tricked his guards and kidnapped him from his Lahore home
last August. In the video, Weinstein claims that al-Qaida
will murder him if President Barack Obama does not give in to the group’s
demands.
These demands were
outlined in a video al-Qaida released
last December and included the end of any strikes by America and its
allies on Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza and the release of
prisoners held by the Unites States on suspicion of involvement with terrorist
groups. In the most recent video, Weinstein asks Obama to act quickly, as
delays would make things worse for the prisoner.
In
the video, Weinstein is seated in front of a platter of food and eats several
bites as he speaks. He alleviates some of the initial worries raised after his
kidnapping by addressing his wife, Elaine, and informing her that he is
receiving all the required medications for his heart problems and other health
issues. Though it’s difficult to tell through the poor recording quality
whether Weinstein is truly in good health, all signs point to his general
wellbeing. Nevertheless, it’s questionable whether releasing this video to an
American audience is ethical. On one hand, the public has a right to the truth,
but on the other, broadcasting this video exposes the desperation of an
American citizen begging for his life.
Though we generally consider media communication a positive tool
that inspires understanding and information exchange between different
countries, classes and people, it is important to recognize that such tools are
not inherently good. The meanings they create depend on the individuals
wielding them. In this case, a terrorist group utilized online forums and video
technology to facilitate a tragic ransom.
This is an interesting news item that shows the potential complications of surrendering the traditional neutrality of news organizations in favor of new forms of digital advocacy and citizen journalism. In the CBS news broadcast that we examined last week, where footage from insurgents' cell phones appeared, violent evidence presented in the name of the public's right to know certainly became controversial. Whether it is the videorecordings created by a pro-jihad serial killer in Toulouse or the demands of an Al Qaeda video, the ethics of what and what not to show becomes more complex in an age of distributed media.
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