Explainable and sad, yes, but excusable, no, mainly because of this:
Originally posted by
Time magazine
In 1993 Carter headed north of the border with Silva to photograph the rebel movement in famine-stricken Sudan. To make the trip, Carter had taken a leave from the Weekly Mail and borrowed money for the air fare. Immediately after their plane ) touched down in the village of Ayod, Carter began snapping photos of famine victims. Seeking relief from the sight of masses of people starving to death, he wandered into the open bush. He heard a soft, high-pitched whimpering and saw a tiny girl trying to make her way to the feeding center. As he crouched to photograph her, a vulture landed in view. Careful not to disturb the bird, he positioned himself for the best possible image. He would later say he waited about 20 minutes, hoping the vulture would spread its wings. It did not, and after he took his photographs, he chased the bird away and watched as the little girl resumed her struggle. Afterward he sat under a tree, lit a cigarette, talked to God and cried.
Context
here.
The man saw a lot of horrible things and did good by reporting on it. He put his life in jeopardy many times for the sake of his photography. I literally cannot imagine the toll on his soul for the things that he saw. Yet, this was not a mob executing someone. This was not a situation where he had to stay back for his own life and all he could do was take pictures and pray. This was a little girl, crumpled on the ground in starvation, and he sat and watched her and a vulture
for twenty minutes, hoping the bird would spread its wings and make a more dramatic photograph.
I can't judge him too harshly because I have never experienced the things he experienced. I'm sure parts of him were eaten away by what he saw. But I can't excuse the crouch for twenty minutes, watching a starving toddler, hoping the animal that has come to eat her will do something picturesque.
When all journalists can do is take pictures or risk their lives, I don't really fault them. They're often already involved in a fairly dangerous situation just by being there and I don't blame them for wanting to stay back for their own well-being. But in a situation where there is no danger, only interference with the story, and so they hang back? That's not right. They might be journalists but they're still human beings.