Diana Wiebe
One of the most valuable parts of journalism is photography. In an instant, a whole story can be captured on film and shown to the public.
However, with this capability comes great responsibility. As journalists, we
must learn to have a balance between providing the most accurate news and not
harming those who may be involved.
Not so long ago, a video of American journalist James Foley
being beheaded by a militant group known as Islamic State was released. His
family urged others to not watch the video as it invaded their privacy in a
time of great tragedy.
Even more recently, TMZ leaked a video of star running back
of the Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice punching then-fiancée Janay Palmer after a
verbal altercation. It sparked intense debate about domestic violence and how
private something like that should be kept.
Both of these stories beg the question: Is this right to
post such personal and violent content for all to see?
Show the Truth, but
Take Care
Al Tompkins addresses this question in his piece “Images can send reassuring, dangerous signals during Libya coverage.” He gives three main
points to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to use a photo.
First he says to keep in mind the
context of the images. Sometimes the closest shot can give the most detail, but
readers and viewers need to know the context so a wider shot might be better.
Second, if you are going to use
graphic or violent photos, keep your audience in mind. It’s better to use the
greatest care possible when showing something that may upset readers and
viewers.
Lastly, as journalists we have a
duty to share the truth. However, we must take great care with this
responsibility and have a powerful reason to share graphic content with readers
and viewers.
Provide the Best
Image, but Don’t Photoshop
Tompkins talks not only about whether or not to use a
particular photo, but also about the content of the images themselves. He says
it is vital for journalists to consider the lighting and background with photo
because it can portray events in a different way than they might seem. This can
be tricky with up-to-date news because journalists don’t create or stage the
story, it just happens.
Getting the best photo or video is not always possible
because there just may not have been a camera around at the time an event
occurred. Sherry Ricchiardi also addresses this ethical dilemma in her piece
“Distorted Picture.” She discusses how photojournalism has been taken to a
whole new level due to the technological advances that seem to only cause
trouble. Consumers of news want the most visually appealing and accurately
representative photo for the story, but how far is too far when it comes to
editing photos?
Let the Writing Speak
for Itself
With the increased use of the Internet for news, there also
is an increased need for visual elements. However, there is also a greater
amount of “photojournalists” of sorts as well. Sometimes the perfect photo is
not taken by a professional journalist, but instead by a bystander who was on
the scene when the event happened. This is overall a great thing, but there are
standards to keep in mind even if one is a civilian. Reuters has a handbook
regarding photojournalism on their website that should be kept in mind whether
one is a civilian or a professional.
As a journalist myself, I believe it would be inappropriate
to display images or videos with disturbing content without giving fair warning
to the viewer as to what they were about to watch. It is a duty to show and
tell the truth, but in some cases, it is better to leave out the graphic image
and let the words paint a picture instead.
In James Foley’s case, I think it would be in poor taste to
show his video because that is not what he should be remembered for. In the
case of the Ray Rice and Janay Palmer video, I think it was what was needed for
the proper action to be taken. All photos and videos must be gone through on a
case-by-case basis, however, and news sources should uphold high standards of
ethical integrity involving both writing and photography.
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