Media gone mad

You’ve all heard by now about the radio station in Oregon where the DJs played audio of the beheading of American Nick Berg in Iraq.

One of the DJs gave this apology on his Web site:

“I have become so numb to the horrific things that happen in this world that I sometimes forget there are still people who feel. I in no way meant to be insensitive to anyone. My comments on this were inapropriate” (sic).”

If there is justice, this person will never work in media again. Unfortunately, there’ll be media outlets who will give this person another 15 minutes and another and another.

In an unrelated incident, Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury comic for suffers bad timing. Mike Peters of the The Dallas Morning News (registration required) writes:

The strip for May 23 ends with the Walden College president being handed his head on a platter. Although the Sunday strip is not about the war in Iraq, editors of newspapers across the country were in a quandary about an image so evocative of the videotaped beheading of American Nick Berg that made news this week.
“I regret the poor timing, and apologize to anyone who is offended by an image that is now clearly inappropriate,” Mr. Trudeau said in a prepared statement.

The Sunday comics are printed in advance and inserted into a newspaper later. It’s a tough call to make for an editor. I’m glad I don’t have to make it.