Saddam: Broadcast Nets Show Still Pics

By Brian 

The AP sums up how the broadcast nets showed the Saddam execution:

  NBC News, both on the Saturday ‘Today’ show and on the MSNBC cable channel until about midday, aired only video taken before Saddam was hanged. NBC News President Steve Capus then approved the use of one still photo of Saddam’s body.

‘I didn’t want them to rush into it,’ Capus said. ‘I wanted them to be cautious. I didn’t think there was anything to be gained by being first with the pictures of the body.’

CBS News aired four separate images of Saddam’s body on ‘The Early Show.’ ABC, keeping in mind the hour of the day, decided to show only a still picture of the body, one without the blood stains.

‘We decided to isolate a freeze frame that clearly identified it was him but didn’t dwell on it and didn’t have some of the more macabre aspects of his head,’ said Bob Murphy, ABC News senior vice president.”
 

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