'Here is the news, not the propaganda' – Striking Independent on Sunday front page responds to Alan Henning's murder
The Independent on Sunday is today carrying a striking front page on the murder of British aid worker Alan Henning by IS, telling its readers: "Here is the news, not the propaganda."
Rather than satisfy the terrorists' propaganda aims by publishing tormenting images of Henning's beheading, the paper instead reports the story with a blacked-out front page carrying a strong, short statement.
"On Friday a decent, caring human being was murdered in cold blood. Our thoughts are with his family," it reads. "He was killed, on camera, for the sole purpose of propaganda. Here is the news, not the propaganda."
The front page of the Independent on Sunday pic.twitter.com/O9RrFAsVvJ
— The Independent (@Independent) October 5, 2014
The Indy's front page has been widely circulated on social media this morning, with many Twitter users - including some fellow journalists - praising the paper's message.
Tremendous front page by @Independent on Sunday. Beautifully handled. pic.twitter.com/ejMbtrROFz — Owen Jacques APN (@Owenjay) October 5, 2014
Today's #IndependentOnSunday: How front pages should cover #Isis propaganda http://t.co/2uI20bNMXg pic.twitter.com/1KYvT1VeYn — Morten Øverbye (@morten) October 5, 2014
Smart decision by the Independent on Sunday. It's a pity more of the press haven't taken such an approach. pic.twitter.com/HmUjijrOXm
— Andrew Foxley (@TheAndrewF) October 5, 2014
On the same note, the paper's website also carries a column from the Hacked Off director Joan Smith, saying publishing stills from the terror group's propaganda videos comes close to "colluding with torture".
"We have a responsibility as journalists to report these murders, but we don't have to reproduce slavishly the most horrific propaganda," Smith writes.