Should images of drowned Syrian child be shared?
The viral photos of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s demise raise ethical question on their web dissemination.
WARNING: this article contains images that readers may find distressing.
The images of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi lying lifeless on a Turkish beach caught worldwide attention on Wednesday. He was one of at least 12 Syrians who drowned in the Aegean Sea, including his mother Rihan and five-year-old brother Galip, trying to reach Europe. #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik (humanity washed ashore) was trending and has been used more than 70,000 times, and it didn’t take long before the photographs went viral.
As many retweeted and shared the images across online social platforms, questions were raised on whether the viral photographs would detract from or raise awareness of the ongoing refugee crisis.
Newsrooms across the globe were faced with the tough question on whether to run with the photos or not.
Here is what the front pages of some newspapers looked like on Thursday: