The editor of the Toronto Star has a responsibility to uphold the reputation of the newspaper and also to sell newspapers. The newspaper cannot always keep the feelings of those individuals whom it covers in mind first and foremost as this would preclude informing the public about many important events. Even private citizens have their names revealed to the pubic when their actions become newsworthy without their consent. However, newspapers also observe ethical guidelines when releasing names and images, such as when they do not reveal the names or rape victims, because of the stigma still attached to the in society crime. The public does not 'need' to know that this specific elderly woman is dead, rather the purpose of publishing the photo is to use the image of the woman as a representation of all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The woman's family does not view their loved one as a symbol. They see her as a human being with a complex history and may likely resent her being used as a representative image after her demise.
             The ethical question is if the photograph is compelling enough to be used at the expense of the woman's dignity and her family's feelings. Would another photograph of someone who can give consent suffice? In the case of Hurricane Katrina, given that there are so many other terrible photographs available of the living that do not compromise the dignity of the dead, these might be a better selection. However, it is worth remembering that given the location of the newspaper, it is unlikely that substantial numbers of the women's relatives will see the photograph, and that other images have been used to indelibly create a visceral response of a particular event, such as of the Napalmed young child in a famous Life Magazine photograph of the Vietnam War. Although the child's parents may not have even wanted the naked, burned child to be seen in a major pub
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