The New York Times has finally responded to criticism from incensed Kenyans over its decision to publish a graphic photo of the Dusit attack on its website.
It said that the decision to publish photos of that nature come after a lot of consideration of the pros and cons, and with due sensitivity to victims.
"We look at the universe of images available from any given event, and we try to make a decision that both serves our readers and respects the dignity of those affected by the attack or event. Generally, we try to avoid identifying victims or showing unnecessary blood and gore, particularly if it is not central to the news story that the photograph accompanies, " it said in an article published on its website.
Key to its decision to feature the 'disturbing' photo, it went ahead, was to fully capture the impact of violence.
"But it is an important part of our role as journalists to document the impact of violence in the world, and if we avoid publishing these types of images, we contribute to obscuring the effects of violence and making debates over security and terrorism bloodless, " the article further read.
Kenyans appear not satisfied with the justification offered by the American paper and have called for its journalists to be kicked out of the country.
The Media Council of Kenya wrote a protest letter to the paper, demanding an apology and the removal of the photo.
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