Whereas last week, running satirical pictures of Mohammed largely made sense only as a matter of opinion journalism, it is now a requirement of news reporting — because those images are central to the story. Stéphane Charbonnier, the editor of Charlie Hebdo, and his colleagues were murdered because they ran those pictures. It’s understandable that news outlets wouldn’t want to invite similar attacks by printing or broadcasting those images. But by refusing to do so, they send a message: “We’re afraid of you.”
That’s an unequivocal win for the terrorists.
But when outlets do run the images, the radicals get to say, “See, look at their disrespect for Islam and the prophet. There can be no compromise with these infidels.”
That’s a win for the terrorists, too.
Attempts to find a middle way fall short.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member