Nick Berg #1

Outside the Beltway

“Blogging Research Wordle” by Kristina B is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Nick Berg #1

James Joyner

May 18, 2004

Comments

You don’t say: Nick Berg is Number One Search Term With Web Users

Nick Berg (#1) has been the number one search term on The Lycos 50 since
mid-week last week. During the first 48 hours following news of the Nick Berg
execution, the top 10 search requests Web users were specifically searching
for regarding Berg were: Nick Berg video, Nick Berg Beheading, Nick Berg and
Iraq, Nick Berg Execution, Nick Berg Beheading Video, Nick Berg Killing, Nick
Berg murder, Nick Berg assassination, Nick Berg decapitation video, and
execution of Nick Berg. Late last week, Web users became focused on seeking
out, finding, and watching the actual execution video and searches began
emerging for: find Nick Berg video, watch Nick Berg beheading, and Nick Berg
video link. Nick Berg-related searches are so prevalent that they dwarf all
other searches, including the consistent pop-culture leaders. Over the past
week, Nick Berg searches were 24 times higher than Britney Spears (#4), Paris
Hilton (#6), and Clay Aiken (#5).

This is obviously not news to bloggers. I’d be interesting in seeing comparative data, though–how much search interest was there in this compared to other popular searches in the last year or so?

42 responses to “Nick Berg #1”

Keith Taylor

May 18, 2004 at 5:53 pm

And out of all of that I got one freakin’ hit.
SHAWN

May 21, 2004 at 4:12 am

I WANNA SEE THE BEHEADING.
james lagrassa

May 21, 2004 at 8:46 am

ive seen the video and its a sick thing. no one should want to watch it. it makes me feel horrible. words cant explain the horror i felt when i first saw it. anyone who watched it and didnt feel anything when they saw that deserves the same fate as berg.
james lagrassa

May 21, 2004 at 8:46 am

ive seen the video and its a sick thing. no one should want to watch it. it makes me feel horrible. words cant explain the horror i felt when i first saw it. anyone who watched it and didnt feel anything when they saw that deserves the same fate as berg.
Jackie

May 21, 2004 at 9:13 am

Is there a website where I can watch the Nick Berg beheading?
sherry

May 21, 2004 at 9:33 am

how many times does this man have to die for the need of blood dripping off our tounges? This American never deserved to die (as we all do not know our fates – and death is inevitable) but to die in public display over and over again is a shame …THIS IS NOT A MOVIE FOLKS! THIS IS OUR BROTHER OUR SISTER OUR MOTHER AND FATHER! THIS COULD BE YOU!!! and all video tracks should be taken off the internet somehow in honor of this families pain…and the video should be put at the video store so we can “offer” the ones who “want to see it so badly” a ticket to his deathplace and maybe they can experience the smell of his death, and the jabber of foriegn satisfaction in seeing our brother die firsthand. Maybe they can become famous in this manner and donate thier lives and entertain the rest of us with more blood and guts BUT THIS TIME IT WILL BE YOUR FRIENDS WATCHING YOU STRUGGLE FOR AIR AND SCREAMIN OUT FOR GOD!!!!
Anonymous

May 21, 2004 at 9:38 am

I was curious and shame on me…I was not prepared for what I viewed, and I am ashamed of myself and I ask God to forgive me, It must have been what it was like for Jesus being watched until he took his last breath. We complain the the news censors the cruel realities…yet we are protected for our sanities sake, please for the love of God and nation…do not watch it! Let this man rest in Peace!
Jessica Franklin

May 21, 2004 at 7:00 pm

i want to see what the hell they did to this poor man just trying to help their towel head asses i would like to join the Army just to video tape me cutting open a Arabien woman that is pregnate riping her baby out and feeding it to her husband.
I would like to see just what the hell those bastards did to him please send me the video my prayers go out to his family and anyone who has known him i will kill for my fellow Americans!!!
NOONE

May 21, 2004 at 7:47 pm

I think its important for us to see the beheading no matter how gruesome it may be so we can no just how cruel these people are to taking an innocent man and beheading him!!!
RCLARK

May 22, 2004 at 7:55 am

Personally I wish I had never seen such a horrible thing, being that I work for the media I could never see making money off such a tragedy. Im sick to my stomach not from the video but the world we live in we are at war with this country that refuses for peace they have been fighting since biblical times we or our next generation cant stop the turmoil in the middle east. I dont want to sound barbaric or horrible but we may had a incident with the Iraqi prisoners in fact should have been handled differently but we never dragged them throught the streets decapitated there heads were dealing with dispicable people. And to the men and women fighting for me and you reading this God Bless You yes but I come from a long line of a military family we love you and we pray for you and your our hero’s you risk your life to keep us safe and I could never tell you how thankful I am to be a American and how much I would love for each and every one of you to go home to your family. I missed out on the military from a past shoulder injury, not saying i would love to be out there with you in the conditions but to be a part of something that affects the world and our great country would be awesome you should all be proud of what you do cause your heros Thank You!
canzo

May 22, 2004 at 3:18 pm

pray for the repose of the deceased!!
supporttroops

May 22, 2004 at 3:50 pm

This is an extremely disturbing video that only further demonstrates the cult-like interpretation of the muslim religion. This is a religion based upon peace however it appears that the religion itself is not in practice, more so ones own terroristic ideas and beliefs. The religion is used as a referrence and personel interpretation in an effort to justify the barbaric executions that anyone’s god would not condone. Although bin laden indicates all there actions are in the name of allah, they are actually in the name of anti-western/christian culture. They bend the foundations of the muslim religion to their own likings in attempt to deface western civilization.
These sadistic terror groups can all burn in hell for what they preach. All radical muslims should be destroyed as this anti-christian, american attitude will only continue to become stronger and more damaging as time passess. We have to realize that this is their plan and with lack of life preservation, they will continue to be a force to be reckoned with. This is why I support our troops, al-queda needs to die quickly or else US will suffer in the future, this is only a fact.
Next time you think to yourself and wonder why we are still in iraq and our/US purpose….. think of your children and the people we will leave behind, the american resentment will only grow stronger as time passes, rid terror and those who support the anti-american movement.
karina

May 22, 2004 at 8:01 pm

i am a very “who cares” type of person and thats probibly because im only 13 but since i saw this video it has open my eyes to the type of world we live in…..let the man rest in piece and may his family LIVE in piece..
Tony Montana

May 22, 2004 at 8:09 pm

i still didnt see the video and i aint tryin to either i heard its mad messed up.my moms friend had a nervous breakdown over that video.
tony montana

May 22, 2004 at 8:11 pm

FUCK THOSE MUSLIM IDIOTS!!!THEY SOULD ALL BURN IN HELL.I WANNA JUST GET A NUKE AND FIRE IT AT THEIR COUNTRY1
phil

May 24, 2004 at 8:20 pm

this is proof of what these people do- to people who aren’t even provoking them in any way- remember the 4 truck drivers. and they will kill Iraqi women, too, in order to prevent the Iraqi people from having a government that won’t oppress and terrorize them.

Why do you think they are called terrorists? It’s because they want to terrorize people. This is why we MUST stay; we MUST win; we MUST eliminate them, for the sake of ALL civilians.
glen

May 25, 2004 at 12:27 am

Im so very interested about the beheading, so i want to see the video first before i will give my comment because i think news article is not enough to describe how terrible and tragic happened to nicholas berg.
kndly send in my e-mail address the video………….
Joe

May 25, 2004 at 6:38 am

Watch the video. It looks fake, and it looks like it was filmed in the al ghaira prison. look at the white chair, the jump suit, the timing doesn’t match, fat white arabs, the leader standing on a leg that was supposedly a badly made prosthesis that he couldn’t. Oh and he wears forbidden jewelry and has a tatoo on his hand. also Berg doesn’t fight, and he screams without his jaws moving, as a matter of fact, he looks already dead, and very unlike photos of himself. Not a whole lot of blood for a beheading, either.
Juder

May 25, 2004 at 10:57 am

To Joe –no offense, but it looked very real, and when was the last time you performed a beheading –how do you know how much blood comes from such an act?
The video has haunted me since I watched it. It has changed my personal opinion of muslims. In an attempt to be fair,I started researching the religion.
It is the only religion I have ever researched that does condone violence as a means to preserving what they consider equilibrium between life and god. They are taught barbarianism (overshadowed by always stating that they are peaceful and god-fearing). In other words, what they say is muslim is not what is interpreted. Muslims have since the beginning of time killed themselves or others in the name of their god ! Some say the US has always been at war as well. I say, the only reason we have gone to war was to forward the cause of democracy. And yes if that has economic side-effects that benefit us –oh well. At least we don’t slaughter innocents in the name of some barbaric, pathetic god –ALLAH!
MAXINE

May 25, 2004 at 11:08 am

GOD BLESS NICK BERG’S FAMILY MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM. AS FOR THE TERRORIST THUGS WHO DID THIS MAY THEY HOPEFULLY RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT AS NICK BERG. I HOPE THEY DIE A DISPICABLE DEATH. NO ONE DESERVES IT MORE. AS AMERICANS WE’RE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE ARE HEAD AND EARS ABOVE THOSE SLIMEY RAGHEADS. WE’VE NEVER DISPLAYED SUCH BARBARIC ANIMALISTIC BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THEM. NICK BERG’S DEATH AND THE DEATH OF THE 4 SECURITY CIVILIAN GUARDS BY MUTILATING AND DRAGGING THEIR BODIES THROUGH THE STREETS IS ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE. THE REST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND LOOK AT WHO THEY ARE BEING GROUPED WITH!!!!THIS IS THEIR ARAB BROTHERS WHO ARE ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF. FOR THE ARAB WORLD MAY THEY ALL CHOKE ON THEIR PRECIOUS OIL AND I PRAY FOR THE DAY WHEN WE GET SMART ENOUGH TO TO CREATE VEHICLES WHICH REQUIRE DO NOT THEIR RESOURCES. MAY GOD BE WITH ALL THE BRAVE AMERICANS AND COALITION FORCES. YOU ARE TRUELY OUR HEROES!!!!
MAXINE

May 25, 2004 at 11:09 am

GOD BLESS NICK BERG’S FAMILY MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM. AS FOR THE TERRORIST THUGS WHO DID THIS MAY THEY HOPEFULLY RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT AS NICK BERG. I HOPE THEY DIE A DISPICABLE DEATH. NO ONE DESERVES IT MORE. AS AMERICANS WE’RE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE ARE HEAD AND EARS ABOVE THOSE SLIMEY RAGHEADS. WE’VE NEVER DISPLAYED SUCH BARBARIC ANIMALISTIC BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THEM. NICK BERG’S DEATH AND THE DEATH OF THE 4 SECURITY CIVILIAN GUARDS BY MUTILATING AND DRAGGING THEIR BODIES THROUGH THE STREETS IS ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE. THE REST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND LOOK AT WHO THEY ARE BEING GROUPED WITH!!!!THIS IS THEIR ARAB BROTHERS WHO ARE ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF. FOR THE ARAB WORLD MAY THEY ALL CHOKE ON THEIR PRECIOUS OIL AND I PRAY FOR THE DAY WHEN WE GET SMART ENOUGH TO TO CREATE VEHICLES WHICH REQUIRE DO NOT THEIR RESOURCES. MAY GOD BE WITH ALL THE BRAVE AMERICANS AND COALITION FORCES. YOU ARE TRUELY OUR HEROES!!!!
MAXINE

May 25, 2004 at 11:12 am

GOD BLESS NICK BERG’S FAMILY MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM. AS FOR THE TERRORIST THUGS WHO DID THIS MAY THEY HOPEFULLY RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT AS NICK BERG. I HOPE THEY DIE A DISPICABLE DEATH. NO ONE DESERVES IT MORE. AS AMERICANS WE’RE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE ARE HEAD AND EARS ABOVE THOSE SLIMEY RAGHEADS. WE’VE NEVER DISPLAYED SUCH BARBARIC ANIMALISTIC BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THEM. NICK BERG’S DEATH AND THE DEATH OF THE 4 SECURITY CIVILIAN GUARDS BY MUTILATING AND DRAGGING THEIR BODIES THROUGH THE STREETS IS ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE. THE REST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND LOOK AT WHO THEY ARE BEING GROUPED WITH!!!!THIS IS THEIR ARAB BROTHERS WHO ARE ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF. FOR THE ARAB WORLD MAY THEY ALL CHOKE ON THEIR PRECIOUS OIL AND I PRAY FOR THE DAY WHEN WE GET SMART ENOUGH TO CREATE VEHICLES WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE THEIR RESOURCES. MAY GOD BE WITH ALL THE BRAVE AMERICANS AND COALITION FORCES. YOU ARE TRUELY OUR HEROES!!!!
MAXINE

May 25, 2004 at 11:14 am

GOD BLESS NICK BERG’S FAMILY MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM. AS FOR THE TERRORIST THUGS WHO DID THIS MAY THEY HOPEFULLY RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT AS NICK BERG. I HOPE THEY DIE A DISPICABLE DEATH. NO ONE DESERVES IT MORE. AS AMERICANS WE’RE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE ARE HEAD AND EARS ABOVE THOSE SLIMEY RAGHEADS. WE’VE NEVER DISPLAYED SUCH BARBARIC ANIMALISTIC BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THEM. NICK BERG’S DEATH AND THE DEATH OF THE 4 SECURITY CIVILIAN GUARDS BY MUTILATING AND DRAGGING THEIR BODIES THROUGH THE STREETS IS ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE. THE REST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND LOOK AT WHO THEY ARE BEING GROUPED WITH!!!!THIS IS THEIR ARAB BROTHERS WHO ARE ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF. FOR THE ARAB WORLD MAY THEY ALL CHOKE ON THEIR PRECIOUS OIL AND I PRAY FOR THE DAY WHEN WE GET SMART ENOUGH TO CREATE VEHICLES WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE THEIR RESOURCES. MAY GOD BE WITH ALL THE BRAVE AMERICANS AND COALITION FORCES. YOU ARE TRUELY OUR HEROES!!!!
Jeff Crane

May 25, 2004 at 1:58 pm

I’m so sorry to the Berg family. That is no way for your son to die! “Bad things happen to Good people.” Your son is a trajic example to those words. After I saw the tape I think I will never forget who Nick Berg is. I only wish I had known him before the tape. All will be in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless!
Anonymous

May 25, 2004 at 2:33 pm

was this a fake video i would like to know???
TIM

May 25, 2004 at 5:59 pm

I saw the video. Show’s everything we are fighting so hard against. Hard to watch. But worth it. It is too bad some people blame the same people who are fighting for those who have become martyrs. When will we learn. God bless us all.
Sammy

May 25, 2004 at 9:51 pm

I would like to see the video because i have thought seriously about joing the army and i want to know what they do to our soldiers, which will make me want to fight harder.
some kid

May 25, 2004 at 10:02 pm

It makes me sad to see how much we let each other down. Doesn’t anyone understand? Hate will always be hate! It will never achieve anything but sorrow, anger, and bloodshed. I am a teenager for heaven’s sake, and .I. even realize that. The world is so blind. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very brave and smart man, and is remembered as just that. But guess what? He never, ever, ever used violence or hate to get his point across. Love will always be stronger than hate. Good will always prevail, even though right now, it doesn’t seem like it. As for Nick Berg, I am sickened to hear of it, let alone see it. It could’ve stopped before that happened. We are all the same, whether you are from Iraq or the U.S. or from the U.K.- it doesn’t matter. All of us bleed red, all of us cry tears, all of us scream the same screams. And none of these things will ever stop unless you start with yourself. It is easy to return hate with violence and call it power, but that is nothing. It is stronger to reply to hate with love. That is true power.
Gregg

May 26, 2004 at 12:35 am

What a lot of people don’t understand is that these pricks do this to their own people as well. I hate that it happens, but that’s what we are trying to conquer in Iraq. Give them a government that works. It’s better than what they had. I have’nt seen the video and don’t want to. My heart goes out to his family and friends and the military who are still there.
amanda

May 26, 2004 at 1:14 am

I would just like to say thank you to all who support the military. I am in the U.S. Air Force and every time I hear people talk about how bad we have it, I think of how wrong and uneducated they are. Personally I did not join the military to just go fight, but now that I am in everyday it is a possibility, and I am ready. To hear everyone talk about how their families need to come home it’s understndable , but they need to understand that we are fighiting for a just cause. We are a family and look out for each other and our families. The main reason I joined the military is because I needed a change and I have that and being able to make a difference in peoples lives. I know it is hard to see the family members go , but you have to look at it from our point of view. When we see things like the Burg killing that gets us madder than anyone could imagine. This is what we are trying to fight aginst we our fighting for our country and YOUR SUPPORT COULD NOT COME AT A BETTER TIME! 9-11 IS SOMETHING WE LIVE WITH EVERYDAY AND IT SEEMS PEOPLE SOON FORGET THAT ONTOP OF THAT WE HAVE HORRIBLE THINGS GOING ON THAT NEED TO BE STOPPED. I know everyone will not agree with this email but I thought a military troop who would die to see terrorism stopped would help give a little help with our support. That is what we need the most. To the Burg family my prayers are with you all. I hope i can get some revenge that you can not at this time get.
piper

May 26, 2004 at 3:14 am

Hate the killers / not the religion. I hope you all were as outraged when two americans dragged
an african-american to pieces behind their truck.
Funny how we pick and choose our little outrages!
Anonymous

May 26, 2004 at 11:50 am

I need to see the video. The media covered the “abuse” at the prison all over the place. Why can’t Americans who think we shouldn’t be there see this video. Maybe they’ll change their mind and realize we just need to make that area of the world a glass parking lot. You know what happens to sand when it is heated up……please email me the video.
ROSE ENYART

May 26, 2004 at 6:17 pm

GOD BLESS THE FAMILY OF NICK BERG. THERE’S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DON’T THINK OF NICK.THERE IS SO MUCH SADNESS THAT I FEEL FOR HIM .WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS THE WAY I FEEL.MY THOUGHT ARE FOR NICK AND HE WILL HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART FOR ALWAYS.GOD BLESS NICK AND HIS FAMILY.I JUST CAN’T IMAGINE.
Anonymous

May 26, 2004 at 6:22 pm

i saw it and wished i hadn`t..i feel so bad for the family, GOD bless you all..
Kevin

May 26, 2004 at 8:10 pm

I have not seen this video nor do I plan to. If they think that beheading an american civilian on tape then broadcasting it over the internet is going to make the United States pack up and leave, maybe they should think again. The United States went over there to liberate Iraq and it’s people and that’s what there going to do. My heart goes out to the Berg family and friends, but all is fair in love and war. Nick Berg should not have gone to one of the most dangerous locations in the world to seek employment. He worked in communications. Myself, being the same age and gender as Nick also a communications tech can relate. However, you mean to tell me that he could not find a job working for a communication company that is state-side. Yeah, American’s have the right to do what he pleases, but come on. I’m not saying he deserve what he got, but he didn’t help matters much when he decided to go over there as an American civilian vs. an American soilder.
Ann

May 27, 2004 at 2:44 am

Would like to see the beheading of nick berg. do you have the site I can log on to. It seems to me that we are losing our own freedom of the press. Those who don’t want to see it can choose not to those of us who do more power to us and is our right under the constitution.
Anonymous

May 27, 2004 at 9:00 am

looks fake to me. don’t they have decent video cams in that country?
whitney

May 27, 2004 at 11:19 am

My husband and I watched the video last week. Personally, I believe that beheading is a terrible death, but really is there a calming way to die. I, however, like may others have doubts about the authenticity of the video. I am a Justice Admin Student, once(while profiling a homicide for a class), my professor told us that when your jugular vein is cut you gush blood for eight minutes. During those eight minutes you can niether scream, nor move, but are still able to feel the pain. I, honestly, cannot draw any similarities form Nick Bergs picture before, and during the execution. Don’t get me wrong, if the event really took place it is an outrage. I do however believe that there are key facts that are not being released. I also don’t think that we are taking into consideration the fact that these same men do this to women,(their mothers, wives and children), quite frequntly. Where is the outrage for these senseless deaths? My sympathies do go out to the Berg Familiy, and also to a all those women and children who are unfortunate enough to live in a society where such atrocities are condoned.
Anonymous

May 27, 2004 at 11:18 pm

Talk about loosing our freedom, This asshole will not let me post the site containing the beheading. He thinks I’m trying to peddle viagra.
Amanda

May 28, 2004 at 4:57 pm

I have not seen the video. Is there a place that I can still see it? I feel so much hurt for him and his family. I too think that every American and for that matter every Christian should watch it… Just to bring us down a notch… We are nothing without the power of God… and alot of us have forgotten that we are no better than anyone else in this world…. can somebody tell me where to go to watch the video?
anonymous

May 28, 2004 at 5:21 pm

I recently saw the nick berg video, completely on a whim. My friend came over and asked me nonchalantly, “did you hear about that guy who got exectued in Iraq?” I of course said No, because (and don’t flame me for my opinions) I don’t watch the news intentionally becuase I believe the media is so biased. but anyways….it was very easy to access through one of those ubuiquitous IRAA hated file-sharing programs, and let me tell everyone something…..I honestly and truly regret that I watched it. It was probably the most horrible gruesome thing I have ever experienced and recommend it to NO ONE. ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY anyone who does not have the maturity to contemplate that this is a human being being murdered, and not some fake try for propoganda (although if it were so, it’s obviously worked).

I am ashamed at my own bloodlust. and that video has haunted my thoughts literally for the past week. against any of your curiousity, i think that EVERYONE should seriously sit down and think about it, before seeking it out.
Kevin

May 28, 2004 at 5:24 pm

That’s schnittshow .com. Go to archives and the link will be located there.

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