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A university sparked anger in the Jewish community and on social media by bestowing an award for a photo of the body of German-Israeli dual citizen Shani Louk, who was killed by Hamas terrorists.
Louk was the subject of a photo that helped the Associated Press take home "Team Picture Story of the Year."
The award, which is a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, gave its first place spot to a series of photos by AP photographers. The picture of Louk is featured on the institute's website.
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A picture of Shani Nicole Louk, who was killed, is displayed during a demonstration by family members and supporters of hostages who are being held in Gaza after they were kidnapped from Israel by Hamas terrorists. (REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo)
The photo of Louk's body being displayed was taken by freelancer Ali Mahmud and captioned in part: "Heavy Israeli airstrikes on the enclave has killed thousands of Palestinians. 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."
"This premiere category recognizes the collaborative effort of a photography staff covering a single topic or news story," the site about the award states. "It is a narrative picture story that consists of images taken as part of a team effort to cover a single issue or news story."
Some social media influencers criticized the release of the photos, especially of Louk, online.
"Photos showing violence and death can be newsworthy or important when they humanize the dead or galvanize the public," senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute, Hen Mazzig, wrote in a post on X Thursday. "The ‘winning’ photo does neither; it only further dehumanizes Shani, retraumatizes her family, and legitimizes Hamas's actions under the guise of journalistic neutrality."
"There is a dead body of a partially unclothed human being, a young woman who was brutally murdered and probably raped. This cannot be real. Please remove this photo," one user wrote, according to the Jerusalem Post. Another wrote, "She has a name. Shani Louk. Her family specifically requested that we remember her laughing and living. Take this down and show some respect. If you want to post our Shani, find a photo she consented to."
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Influencer Chaya Raichik alleged that photographers for AP and other outlets "knew about the attack" on Oct. 7, which the AP and others have strongly denied.
"In February, the families of Louk and other Nova massacre victims sued AP and Reuters for what they alleged to be the involvement of photojournalists employed by those agencies in the atrocities of October 7," The Jewish Chronicle reported.
AP released a statement on Feb. 22 responding to the lawsuit from the National Jewish Advocacy Center, defending its coverage of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
AP released a statement on Feb. 22 responding to lawsuit from the National Jewish Advocacy Center, defending its coverage of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. (Getty Images)
"AP had no advance knowledge of the October 7 attacks, nor have we seen any evidence — including in the lawsuit — that the freelance journalists who contributed to our coverage did," AP's Vice President of Corporate Communication, Lauren Easton, wrote in a statement. "Allegations like this are reckless and create even more potential danger for journalists in the region."
"Documenting breaking news events around the world — no matter how horrific — is our job," the statement continues. "Without AP and other news organizations, the world would not have known what was happening on October 7."
When reached for comment, AP directed Fox News Digital to previous statements it has made on the matter, including from last November, about "Gaza freelancers."
"The Associated Press had no knowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks before they happened," the statement reads. "The first pictures AP received from any freelancer show they were taken more than an hour after the attacks began. No AP staff were at the border at the time of the attacks, nor did any AP staffer cross the border at any time."
Fox News' Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.
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