New York Times on the Spot for Publishing Insensitive Images from Nairobi’s 14 Riverside Terror Attack

The New York Times is on the spot after publishing insensitive photos from the Dusit D2 attack on 14 Riverside Drive, Nairobi.

New York Times used images of dead victims in an article written by the incoming East Africa Bureau Chief for the New York Times, Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura.

Aggrieved Kenyans have taken to Twitter using hash tag #SomeonetellNewYorkTimes and #DeportKimiko to criticize the media firm for using images of dead bodies.

@wgkantai tweets: "Dear @nytimes. What value do you add by publishing pictures of dead bodies from Nairobi? You wouldn’t do this for an attack in New York, would you? Shame on you. And also to @AP, who took the photos."

BBC journalist @LarryMadowo says: "This complex probably has more Kenyan companies than foreign ones. And it is in poor taste for the New York Times to publish images of the dead"

@FQanini notes: "Very disturbing images published by @GettyImages, accredited to @kabirdhanji, from the Riverside/Dusit incident. Others posted by @nytimes attributed to Khalil Senosi (for @AP) in an article by @kimidefreytas. Absolutely distasteful, disgusting and deplorable. An utter disgrace.

However, the writer, Ms. Kimiko has defended herself saying she doesn't have the power to select what photo to be used in an article, stating that her work is to write.

"I apologize on behalf of @nytimes and @nytphotofor causing anger and anguish over the photos that have been published with our reporting. Thank you," she says in a tweet.

"I don’t choose the photos. Please direct your message to our photo desk. Thanks," she adds.

Twitter has since suspended The New York Photos account over the disturbing photos of the attack that left 14 people dead.

The New York Times has justified its action saying: “We have heard from some readers upset with our publishing of a photo showing victims after a brutal attack in Nairobi. We understand how painful this coverage can be and we try to be very sensitive in how we handle both words and images."

It adds: "But we also believe it is important to give our readers a clear picture of the horror of an attack like this. This includes showing pictures that are not sensationalized but that give a real sense of the situation."