Gore on the front page

JEERS TO The Philippine Star for publishing on its front page a graphic photo of the 2006 killing of an Abra congressman.

The Star published on its front page a photo showing the bodies of Abra Congressman Luis Bersamin and his police Escort Adelfo Ortega after they were shot dead in front of a church in Quezon City on Dec. 16, 2006 (“Ex-Abra governor gets life for 2006 murder of rival,” Oct. 1, 2015). The photo occupied half of the paper’s upper fold. Only the faces of the victims were pixelated, and the photo was in full color.

The CMFR Ethics Manual states, “Some events—a hostage-taking, a massacre, a bombing with multiple casualties—are inherently sensational, but need to be reported.” There are guidelines to minimize harm in reporting sensational events. On the use of images, “do not use photos of victims who are naked, scantily clad or in otherwise degrading states.”