581 This in from CPJ: The agreement journalists must sign to become embedded with a military unit in Afghanistan now includes a prohibition against any photographic or video coverage of U.S. troops killed in action, according to a copy of the latest agreement<http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/docs/20091009_123004_september_guidelines.pdf>. As recently as July, the ground rules<http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/docs/20091009_122934_july_guidelines.pdf> journalists agreed to in order to receive a media badge at Regional Command East stated that "media will not be prohibited from covering casualties" as long as the images were not released prior to Department of Defense officials notifying the service member's next of kin. A new version of ground rules released in September states that "media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action" and can only publish written reports of casualties after a DOD announcement has been made. The debate over the publication of photographs of troops killed in action was reignited in September when the Associated Press published a picture of a fatally wounded Marine. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote a letter of protest<http://militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/090409_secdef_curley_letter.pdf> to AP President Tom Curley about the photo, and the new policy was released soon afterward. excerpt from new embed contract: 11. Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action. Written coverage of all killed and wounded is also prohibited unless the following conditions are adhered to: a. Names or identifiable written/oral descriptions of wounded service members will not be released without the service member’s prior written consent. If the service member later becomes a KIA, Rule 10(b) applies. b. DOD will release names of KIAs. In respect for family members, names or identifying oral/written reporting of individuals “killed in action” will not be released prior to notification of next of kin Regional Command – East 15 September 2009 Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan 94 2009-10-13T17:02:08Z 0 2009-10-13T17:02:08Z true 30246 false 101 2009-11-01T06:08:06Z Palo Alto, California true 2010-04-13T00:00:00Z false new-embed-restrictions-for-afghanistan-no-kia 1 2009-11-01T06:08:06Z 21