A follow up to my earlier post, via Oliver Willis on Twitter. Headline-grabbing nutjob Terry Jones may not be getting all the press attention he so obviously craves. From an internal memo circulated by Tom Kent of the Associated Press:
Sorry bud, no photo of yourself triumphantly burning books. You're in the same category as terrorist holding hostages.
The concept of this planned event is offensive to many Muslims worldwide. National leaders and spokesmen for other religious denominations have also found the plan repugnant.
Should the event happen on Saturday, the AP will not distribute images or audio that specifically show Qurans being burned, and will not provide detailed text descriptions of the burning. With the exception of these specific images and descriptions, we expect to cover the Gainesville event, in all media, placing the actions of this group of about 50 people in a clear and balanced context.
AP policy is not to provide coverage of events that are gratuitously manufactured to provoke and offend. In the past, AP has declined to provide images of cartoons mocking Islam and Jews. AP has often declined to provide images, audio or detailed descriptions of particularly bloody or grisly scenes, such as the sounds and moments of beheadings and shootings, displays of severed heads on pikes and images of hostages who are displayed by hostage-holders in an effort to intimidate their adversaries and advance their cause. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Sorry bud, no photo of yourself triumphantly burning books. You're in the same category as terrorist holding hostages.
