Outrage as picture showing body of murdered hostage Shani Louk wins competition

A photograph from October 7 depicting Hamas terrorists with the half-naked corpse of German-Israeli Shani Louk has been awarded Team Picture Story of the Year, along with a collection of other graphic photos from the Israel-Hamas war, by the world’s oldest photojournalism award competition, sparking outrage online.

The Pictures of the Year award, run by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism includes a Team Picture Story of the Year category which recognises “the collaborative effort of a photography staff covering a single topic or news story.” First place was awarded to a selection of 20 photos from the Israel-Hamas war taken by Associated Press (AP) photographers.

The first photo in the selection was taken by Ali Mahmoud and depicts the horrific moment in which 22-year-old Louk’s body was transported in the back of a truck by Hamas terrorists. It is captioned: “Palestinian militants drive back to the Gaza Strip with the body of Shani Louk, a German-Israeli dual citizen, during their cross-border attack on Israel, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.”

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/outrage-as-photograph-showing-body-of-shani-louk-wins-competition-rd8tv6qq

This is how Shani Louk's family asked for her to be remembered. Smiling and alive.

The biggest photojournalism competition in the world decided to trample on the family's wishes in favor of giving a photo of Shani's mutilated body a prestigious award. She wasn't even named in the caption.

Among the photographers honored is Ali Mahmud, the AP freelancer who came under fire for logging photos during the early hours of October 7th, indicating previous knowledge of Hamas's brutal attack.

Photos showing violence and death can be newsworthy or important when they humanize the dead or galvanize the public. The "winning" photo does neither; it only further dehumanizes Shani, retraumatizes her family, and legitimizes Hamas's actions under the guise of journalistic neutrality.

No one should be rewarded on the backs of murdered women.

Rest in power Shani Louk, we'll remember you as the beautiful soul you were.

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