What Else Can Be Done
Friends, as we near 100,000 signatures we'd like to thank you for helping us be a voice for those who can't.
If you'd like to help us pressure the relevant decision makers, we suggest copying the text we provide below and email a few key players. News becomes old-news in a matter of hours. We have to keep this issue on people's minds. People such as:
*Geoff Coalter - Communications Strategy and PR Manager at Nikon USA geoffrey.coalter@nikon.com
*Board of Curators at the University of Missouri
boardofcurators@umsystem.edu
*David Kurpius - Dean of Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, kurpiusd@missouri.edu
Please remember that these people aren't personally responsible for granting the award, however, they are the ones who might be able to do something about it, so staying respectful is important, which is why we recommend sticking to the text we offer -
Subject line: Revoke Picture of the Year
Body of email:
To whom it may concern,
I'm writing on behalf of myself and nearly 100,000 people from over 100 countries who signed this petition:
We respectfully demand that you revoke the Picture of the Year award granted to Ali Mahmud and the Associated Press for Team Picture of the Year.
While we understand pictures of victims in war zones are common practice, the focus of these photos is usually human suffering, while here the focus is the terrorists celebrating the massacre they just commited, while young Shani Louk's body is reduced to a literally faceless object. The dead cannot give consent, and while we agree the world should see this photo, it is appealing and sickening to award such a photo for "journalistic excellence."
Furthermore, Mr. Mahmud's presence at the time of taking this picture raises major concerns about prior knowledge he may have had of the attack, and the role he played in it.
Awarding this picture does not only contribute to antisemitism by celebrating the death (and likely torture and rape) of a young Jewish woman, but it also raises serious questions about journalistic ethics and integruity.
We are devastated, and quite frankly shocked, that the Reynolds Journalism Institute will choose such a picture as an awardee, and we're puzzled by Nikon's sponsorship of this decision.
We ask that the Reynolds Journalism Institute will revoke this award immediately, and demand a public acknowledgment by both Nikon and RJI for the horrific error in judgement this decision was.