Monday, September 15, 2014

Ethical Dilemmas in Photojournalism


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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