Torontonians picking up their morning papers today didn’t really have much of a choice: the nastiness of the Russell Williams trial in Belleville has made it to the front pages of all of the major dailies. But Toronto’s newsies did choose different pictures to go on their front pages. (Editor’s note: The following links are to images of the papers’ front pages, and some are upsetting. For readers who want to see the covers, we’ve added them to a slide show at the bottom of the post.)
The Toronto Star and Toronto Sun both ran photos of Williams wearing the underwear of his victims on the front page, while the Globe and Mail and National Post did not. The Star is getting a large share of criticism because the photo it ran is so large and prominent on the page; the Sun’s seems less prominent.
The debate is pretty one-sided on Twitter: Globe-ster Brodie Fenlon writes, “We, as media, fight every day for access to court exhibits. Star undermines our cause by not being responsible with them,” and he’s pretty representative. Responding to claims that the Star is simply serving the public interest, Maclean’s Scott Feschuk writes, “It’s never pretty when the media gets to cloak their lurid instincts in the guise of doing a duty.”
Responding to the criticism, John Cruickshank told CBC’s Metro Morning that the Star decided to run the photos because “that pair of photos…tell an extraordinarily disturbing story.”
“I think there probably is harm, but there’s also a greater good,” said Cruickshank. Defending the Star against the inevitable charge that its goal was simply to sell papers, Cruickshank says that if anything, this will probably hurt the Star’s circulation and certainly enrage advertisers.
The “public interest” defence seems like a red herring; the Globe and the Post both managed to avoid the front-page shocker, and it’s hard to argue they’ve failed to inform the public. What’s upsetting a lot of people, it seems, is that basically the front pages of Toronto’s dailies are impossible to miss: the morning commute takes us past them all the time. Putting Williams in lingerie on the front page takes the choice away from a paper’s readers.
• Photos necessary? [CBC Metro Morning]
For shock factor the photos work but they do not tell THE story. This man is a murderer, not just some silly man who wore a pink tankini. I admit that I instinctively laughed when I first saw the picture. It’s terrible because he has caused so much pain and suffering. I feel awful for the families.
October 19, 2010 at 2:02 pm | by StaceyI’d have preferred to see none of these pictures – in newspapers or anywhere else. I do not know what good purpose is served by showing them.
October 19, 2010 at 3:27 pm | by John CarrickI’d also have preferred not to be told on both radio and t.v. broadcasts about the colonel masturbating into stolen lingerie. Why do we need to know about the depths of his mental illness?
I think that – as with the Bernardo/Homulka murders – there is an unhealthy hunger among a minority of people to learn about the ugliest acts which this sick man performed.
The media should refuse to feed that appetite.
Yes of course the photos should be shown! How else is the public supposed to know and then therfore understand what a sick and perverted maniac he is. Without showing the photos people tend to down play the offences he has commited.
October 19, 2010 at 4:35 pm | by tonyJust horrible. All for the sake of the ‘shock factor’. I will not buy Toronto Star from this point on. Pathetic.
October 19, 2010 at 6:06 pm | by kellyYes,I think they should show what is going on in this world. It is mighty scary. Who do you trust? Priests, cops, lawyers, military, etc. etc. I was so proud to be Canadian, and ya, born here. Now I am totally embarrassed to say I was born in Canada; when you see most countries fighting for whatever, and yet, a Canadian that could that no one could ever imagine, what he did. And on top of that, I say, “NO WAY PENSION”. Why should Canada pay for such a gross pervert that he is; WE ALL WANT NEW LAWS ABOUT CONVICTS COLLECTING SAME”. We have hard working CANADIAN people that work their entire life, and their place of work has no pensions. SO GOVERNMENT, MOVE FAST, Dont let these criminals collect money when they get out; P.S. I BELIEVE WE NEED ANOTHER CANADIAN LAW; LIFE MEANS 30 OR 40 YEARS; WHAT DOES 25 MEAN? WILLIAMS GETS OUT BEING AROUND 65, AND HAS A REAL PENSION BANK ACCOUNT WAITING FOR HIM. GUESS WHAT, WE WILL SEE A LOT MORE CANADIANS WANTING TO GET IN DEEP TROUBLE, AND HAVE A BIG SAVINGS ACCOUNT WAITING FOR THEM WHEN THEY GET OUT; AND DONT HAVE TO PAY FOR RENT, BILLS, FOOD, ETC. IT SURE MAKES ME THINK WOULD LIFE BE EASIER THAN IT IS NOW?
October 19, 2010 at 7:01 pm | by marie wiserI was sickened to hear that these photos were released to the press, yet alone made front page news. I think the public has sufficient information from what is being heard in the court room these past few days without the need for visuals. I would worry now about all the potential copy cats out there that could have their ideas fueled by the attention this man is getting.
October 19, 2010 at 7:26 pm | by MonikaShould they print them? Yes. They are relevant visual testimony to the story. On the front page? No. I was passing a STAR box this morning with my 21 month old and another mother was going by with her older child. The child pointed at the box and asked: “Why is that man wearing a girl’s bathing suit?”
Good grief.
October 19, 2010 at 10:14 pm | by ChantalYa, and on top of his pension that he is surely not worth a cent, he will eventually have a book made, and get even more money; I think that Canada as embarrassed to say I am Canadian, better get new laws out; life in prison should be at least 40 years, not 25; God, if someone gets life at 20 will be out in 35, oh sorry, good behavior, whatever that means, could be out at 30. And then if smart before he gets in trouble has a pension collecting for him when he gets out; So think about it, I wonder why there are so many criminals; free food, roof over head; getting college degree and medical paid; playing pool, tv, working out; making money while working; etc. etc. And yet, I worry every day of my life how I am going to pay for food for my children; hydro that is up to the tits, gas, and double gas for car; etc. etc. And you wonder why everyone wants to go to jail and have everything paid for; and yet, come out still young enough to do the same thing that the did in the past, and have one hell of a bank account. No wonder, there are so many criminals; Who is the stupid one? The Government? Of course; what this country needs is more than giving criminals a slap on the wrist, because they have another wrist that can do the same thing again and again; we have so many immigrants that get back to Canada even though they have been sent to where ever; and why do they come back? Of course, their country would really give them the justice that they deserve; but in this country we are all whimps. And you can really see now how Canada does not know too much; as we now have a Military Canadian, that has pulled stunts that we are all amazed. And yet, he gets one slap in the writs 25 years, and will be out when he is 65 and do the same thing; Since he admitted to all these crimes, she sure as hell would not have done this anywhere else, because he would have been in the chair and long gone where he should be. But again, Canada is so lenient, so Canada, just be ready for more and more freaks from other countries coming here, because they know they will be out in no time and with one huge bank account. Never mind, the other countries, this makes me think I may have a better life in jail. My bank account sucks, but in future I could be rich.
October 19, 2010 at 10:16 pm | by marie wiserthe pictures of colonel russell williams in lingerie are hilarious!! u go girl!! well no you are scum cause you killed those two women but kudos on the macho gender bending
October 19, 2010 at 11:59 pm | by ronnie“I think there probably is harm, but there’s also a greater good,”. I think this attitude is a big part of the problem. The greater good for whom? Not the victims, not the families. Freedom of speech, the right to know – are these things as important as the right to be free from violence, because I really think that we’re fueling these kinds of crimes by giving them so much oxygen and air time.
This man intensely documented his crimes. He filmed the rape and murder of women. Why? Where did he get that idea? What did he get out of it? And are we not complicit with our apparently insatiable desire for all the salacious, gory details? I feel so deeply for the families. The trauma that they must be going through. To see these images with no choice in the matter must be an indescribable kick in the teeth for them.
October 20, 2010 at 12:08 am | by MariaI am disgusted by the photos shown on the front page of the newspapers, especially the Toronto Star. There is NO NEED to show these to the public. Talking about what he did is sufficient enough for us to understand what a monster he is. Why should the families who have been severely impacted by what he has done be exposed to these photos. What about the poor little girl who sees him wearing her bathing suit or undergarments on the front page? How do you protect the victims from seeing this when it is everywhere? They have already had to live through the nightmare of realizing that this horrible person was in their home. Why should they have to see the evidence? Why does anyone have to see it?
October 20, 2010 at 9:49 am | by JeanAnd as others have mentioned, how do we explain this to our children who walk by and see the front page of the newspaper? My 4 year old son picked up the newspaper at the doctor’s office yesterday and my husband had to quickly turn the front page so that he could not see it.
The victims, our children and those of us who do NOT want to see graphic pictures should be protected.
There is nothing graphic or horrific about seeing Williams in women’s underwear. It would only be questionable if they showed photos of the victims during their rapes/murders.
October 20, 2010 at 10:15 am | by GeoffMaybe it is not horrific or graphic in your opinion, Geoff, but if you were the victim or one of the many victim’s family members you may feel differently.
October 20, 2010 at 11:06 am | by DarlaNot on the front page. Bravo Globe and Mail and National Post for not stooping down to the shock factor level. Sickening story as it is.
October 20, 2010 at 12:10 pm | by SalanthNo one needs to see these photos to understand the horror of what happened to these women. They are dead and their families already have enough unpleasant images to haunt them forever. And for those people who feel they need to see these photos to ‘get it’,perhaps this is a sign they should seek some help.
It is almost as though the Crown has released these photos just to show how irresponsible some of the press can be, so the next time there is a publication ban on information the public really needs, they will have all the justification they need to defend their actions.
October 20, 2010 at 7:04 pm | by M Hall