How much is too much?

Michaela Leach
ml456913@ohio.edu

When journalists are reporting on a story, they are faced with the important, and sometimes difficult decision, of what needs to be included, and what can be left out. Content certainly causes controversy, but just as, if not more, controversial are the images that go along with those stories. As journalists, the challenge is the decision of what images should be included in stories and whether or not they add depth to the content of the story.

In photography, there is a fine line between what is considered acceptable and what is considered too explicit for audiences. Images are intended to spark a feeling -- joy, anger, frustration, shock. Many times in journalism, the image that is used to help convey a story serves as a wake-up call for the audience. But, what is considered too much?

The images that give audience members a reality check are those that are brutally honest, undeniably raw and often times, quite graphic. Every single day photojournalists shoot amazing, and sometimes risky content leaving the unanswered question: Is this image too graphic to show? Or is it too important to ignore?

In choosing whether or not to use a graphic image in aiding a story it is important to consider the context of the photo. A photographer must note the background and decide whether a close up shot or a wide shot would best convey the moment they are trying to capture.

Just as important as physical context, though, is political and cultural context and climate. A photographer must consider the situation that led to the occurrence of this scene. For example, American photojournalists were faced with the difficult task of reporting on 9/11 as it was unfolding and in the days and months after. The American people knew the level of devastation that had just occurred, so graphic photos of those killed were far less appropriate to use than something like the iconic "Falling Man" shot by Richard Drew. "Falling Man" still captured the intensity of 9/11 without violating the dignity of any victims.

Today, American journalists are stationed in places like Serbia covering the refugee crisis. In this situation, American's may not know the intensity of the situation, since it hits far less close to home. Journalists now face the tough decision of whether or not to reveal the true intensity of the crisis through photographs, despite their explicit content.

The fact of the matter is that journalists take on a lot of responsibility in deciding what images are used to aid reporting. It is important to remember that not everyone can be pleased, so a journalist must weigh the public's need to know by anticipating their respond and defending his or her decision to use the content.

Barbie Zeller, professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania and journalists alike use a simple test to decide whether to publish a photo: Is the photo central to the story? If a story cannot be told without the image, it must be published.

Photographs are an amazing way to tell an honest story when words just can't do it justice. Julian Reichelt, editor in chief of bilde.de said, "Without pictures the world would be more ignorant, the needy even more invisible, more lost. [...] Photographs are the scream of the world." The images are shouting, and it is up to journalists to decide whether or not to let the world hear.