What is the ruling on taking news from magazines that contain images?

'Abd al-Malik: Shaykh, we heard you once when you were asked about the ruling on bringing in magazines and newspapers that contain images of houses, and you issued a ruling of permissibility for one who is qualified to render them lawful, saying that the scholars [are qualified]. I want to repeat my question, perhaps you forgot the answer to it: What is the ruling on taking news from these magazines, transferring it, and rendering it lawful, and distinguishing between a student of knowledge and a mujtahid? May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : I say that, because what came in the books of the jurists is that it is not permissible to appoint as a mufti one who does not know the conditions of people. Knowing the conditions of people helps the scholar to give a good answer to any issue he is asked about. So this scholar should, in reality, be well-versed in the events occurring among Muslims so that he can give a good answer to any question that may be asked of him. For example, without going far, the one who wants to say that it is permissible to seek the aid of disbelievers to strike the Ba'ath Party, for example, in Iraq, is it not necessary for him to know whether this seeking of aid returns harm to the one seeking it, or benefit? He cannot rule with either of the two possibilities, harm or benefit, unless he has knowledge of the American army, its policy, and its position regarding Muslims, and its assistance to the Jews over these long years against the Muslims. This is an issue that reminds me of how the Saudis permitted themselves to seek the aid of the Americans, while they see them for all these years assisting the Jews against the Muslims. And I have also said, and the matter is full of complexities as they say, where were the Saudis in these ten years while the Afghans were fighting the Russians and the tail of the Russians? Why did they not seek the aid of the Americans? Are these not Muslims? No, these are Muslims, but they are not Saudis. So this seeking of aid was only for the defense of their land, not for the defense of their Islam. The point is, I believe that what helps the Muslim scholar to be precise in dealing with the events and matters that occur and he is asked about is to be well-versed in the facts and events. And there is no way for him to do that except by looking into them, either through the radio or by reading magazines or newspapers. And I say this while I testify that I am the furthest person from such a situation, because what I have is sufficient for me in working to serve the Sunnah. But I do not deny to anyone turning to such looking into and such study, on the condition that he is a scholar of Islam and not an ordinary person who has no knowledge.