To think that pic of the bare-tummied lady should not have been used?

[Chestnut99]

I am appalled at how many newspapers and websites have used the pic of the poor lady in an open yellow jacket/blouse who is sitting on a bench, dazed and in shock with her buttons blown off and her bra and tummy showing (Evening Standard yesterday, front page of today's Times etc etc). The least we can do for a victim of hideous terrorist attacks is respect her dignity, not plaster her over the media.

The Daily Mail has gone one further by finding a reason to repeat the pic today in a special "human interest" article naming her and telling us what her job is.

I would be utterly appalled if my own state of traumatised shock was taken advantage of in the same way, before I had come round and realised I was half dressed and showing my underwear. Shame on them all.

I'm not going to link to the pic because that will just make it worse. I am not usually particularly outspoken but I have complained to IPSO - //www.ipso.co.uk - about this because it intrudes on her privacy and her shock.

Poor woman - and poor Belgium

[Helmetbymidnight]

I agree op.

The lady who became one of the images of 9/11 had a terrible life not helped by being known as 'the dust lady' everywhere she went.

[FrancesNiadova]

I agree op & will complain to ipso. Well said

[lionheart]

I agree OP.

[twojumpingbeans]

I absolutely agree! I thought it was an outrageous invasion of her privacy when she was at her most vulnerable. Not good. In fact, I think I'll take the time to complain too.

[lertgush]

My DS said the same last night when he saw it on the BBC News website. Then oddly, he refreshed the page and it had disappeared.

That's where I saw it too. And yes, I agree with the OP. It's been bothering me ever since I saw the photo.

[QueenLaBeefah]

YANBU

This was on the same day that a celebrity (no idea who) was granted a super injunction about an affair as it wasn't in the public interest. But an ordinary woman having half her clothes blown off is and get image is seen globally without her consent.
It seems ordinary people won't be afforded any dignity from the media.

[lenibose]

Yes she is an Indian lady who works for Jet Airways. Jet uses Brussels as their Europe hub (because Heathrow is costlier) so a lot of Jet flights to the US etc are through Brussels. (I fly Jet a couple of times a year at least if not more). When I saw the picture I immediately thought that it looked like a Jet Airways uniform but actually you can't tell her ethnicity from the photo (at least I couldn't) so I wasn't sure. Jet Airways has asked media outlets to respect her privacy and not publicise the photo I think.

[Botchit]

SaucyJack, do you really think anybody gives a shit what size she she is. The poor women is injured, in shock, has probably witnessed things most of us thankfully will never have to see and most of her clothes have been torn off. Size 6 or size 26, completely irrelevant.

[Chestnut99]

Nanny I don't think it matters who took the pic - the fault is with the editors/journalists etc who chose to buy it and publish it. They control what we see and they are the ones held to certain standards who should have chosen a different powerful image of shock and suffering, which didn't trade on someone's dignity.

[MiffleTheIntrovert]

Actually you know, it's probably not very respectful to start a thread referring to her the "bare tummied lady" particularly as the thread is about giving her dignity. If her name is in the public domain maybe it would be better to use this?

(Yes I know I referred to "the child" in my previous post, not by name, so am guilty of this too, and hypocritical to boot!)

[Rainbunny]

The woman's body size has nothing to do with her trauma being exploited by a photo-journalist. I thought it was awful as well when I saw the picture. I sincerely hope that this journalist apologises to the woman and that she doesn't get to profit from this invasive picture. I'm sure there was more than enough destruction and trauma for this person to document without focusing on a woman whose clothes have been blown off exposing her.

[Helmetbymidnight]

Weird to talk about her (normal) size- I'm not getting the relevance at all.

Yes I saw jet airways were asking for sensitivity. Newspapers are desperate to compete with sm it seems. Shame.

[MrsJorahMormont]

Completely agree and thank you for the link.

[KimmySchmidtsSmile]

All I know is if that were me I would have many more and klarger rolls of fat than that and also being bigger boobed, I would be gutted to see myself in a state of undress "symbolising" the atrocity.
Unless the message is to the terrorists saying:
You claim you do not kill women wtf
You claim you respect women and they should be clothed wtf
Look what you just did
I do not understand why the female photographer thought that picture epitomised the bombing. I did not recognize it was a uniform shredded for a start. And even if reasons were above still not appropriate.

[ShyPhilosopher]

YANBU. I appreciate stories like this carry a "human interest" element, but the media is far too intrusive with its coverage. These people have been through a terrible ordeal and should not have opportunists making a profit by taking photos of their pain. It often seems to get forgotten that these are real people, with real feelings and not merely walking news stories. I refuse to buy newspapers when they resort to such tactics just to sell more copies.

[Chestnut99]

Miffle it's a minefield but I hope I have shown her my respect for her dignity by making a formal complaint (and encouraging others to do the same).

[funnyperson]

Yes I agree it invaded her privacy in an appalling way. I'm sure they didn't ask her permission before publishing it.
Not only that but it did look as though her clothing hadn't been ripped apart by a bomb but by soldiers looking to see if she was wearing a suicide vest, and almost as if it was a deliberate act of intrusion and degradation to publish her picture especially next to the other lady fully clothed in a white jumper and scarf.
But what can you expect from the western press I am sorry to say. Every opportunity to degrade other nations and people not from Europe, thats why they keep getting bombed.

[wtffgs]

Totally agree - a decent human's response would be to offer her some cover up and some water. Snapping photos instead is self-serving fuckerdom. The woman's picture doesn't "deepen my understanding of the Brussels attacks". It just proves opportunistic wankers are everywhere.

I really hope the poor woman did get some help and the photographer is ashamed of herself

[HelpfulChap]

Totally agree.

[AdoraBell]

I agree completely. Haven't seen that photo myself because someone on a thread yesterday mentioned ITV news showing it so I have only watched BBC and I haven't looked at a newspaper today because I thought that at least some would use a it.

There is an abundance of human interest in what I saw yesterday without resorting to a photo of a woman whose clothes have been blown off her.

[bruffin]

The bbc was actively encouraging this yesterday as there was a request on the page for anyone who was there to contact them

[HamaTime]

The guardian tweeted it about 5 min ago and now it's disappeared

[Libitina]

The DM also ran a photo of one of the underground carriages that wasn't initially pixelated. You could see torn limbs in the debris ffs! They later pixelled it.

[TheChippendenSpook]

They were talking about what's in the papers on bbc news this morning (before breakfast) and they showed this photograph.

One of the news readers said that the lady in the photos was actually seriously injured. Poor woman.

[Sixweekstowait]

Yes - I was shocked as well. This thread has made me realise I should complain - thanks OP