David,
You assume that the mainstream media doesn't want UK and US
soldiers killed. I think it's much more likely that they do want
the soldiers to die, the US/UK to tuck tail between legs and
withdraw in failure from Iraq, and for Iraq to end up badly in the
end. The mainstream media in the US and UK aren't quite at the
level of Al Jezeera, but share the same goals in this case -- a
permanent catastrophe in Iraq.
I don't think it's all about selling newspapers, but also even more
about having one's political opponents (who are seen as the REAL
enemy) be seen/portrayed/made to fail miserably in the court of
world and national public opinion so the political allies can be
swept into power.
This IS very relevant to photography -- the Abu Graib abuses and
investigation were announced by the pentagon publically in January,
but nobody cared much until the pictures were obtained and released
by the media. Same facts -- ignored in print for months -- are now
creating an enormous media furor by being captured in photographs.
I'd say some pictures, in this case, are worth millions of words.
It's also fascinating what pictures get published everywhere
repeatedly and what pictures and videos from Iraq rarely get
published here (although they are very widely distributed in Iraq)
-- images of the 900,000 - 2,000,000 murdered victims of Saddam's
regime including the 50,000+ murdered by (imaginary!) chemical
weapons.
--
my favorite work:
http://www.pbase.com/sdaconsulting/featured_art&page=1
