jb177314@ohio.edu
A picture is worth a thousand words, but what are those words worth? In times of tragedy, photojournalists are often plagued with an ethical decision when considering a photo’s role in depicting a tragic event. The question of whether or not it is in the best interest of the public to publish a tragic photo following tragedy is a topic that consistently receives much criticism. People are inherently drawn towards images, oftentimes without very much context or further evaluation. While this can be sometimes positive, other times it can create somewhat of a false narrative.
Editors are then pressed with the decision to publish or to not publish these types of photos and images, deciding whether or not they are central to the story. Images of tragedy or disaster are oftentimes unconsciously split into two categories by the public as either something that matters more or something that matters less. This process is something known as “the Western Gaze,” a term coined by clinical psychologist and founder of the Reading the Pictures blog, Michael Shaw. If on first glance a disturbing image falls into the matters more category, then it has much weight and can be a powerful form of communicating a message. However, if a disturbing image falls into the matters less category, it contributes towards further desensitizing the public regarding tragic events. An image alone can be what defines how the public will respond to a story. Therefore, when publishing a tragic image, it is of the utmost importance to give context to the image, have a critical tone, and confirm its contribution to the public’s need to know. If the image is a central component of the story and if the story cannot be told without it, then it is likely in the best interest to publish the image. That way, when the audience is considering their motivations for viewing the image, it is to gain an understanding.
A definitive example of this type of power that an image can hold is the August 2010 cover of Time magazine. The covered depicted an 18-year old Afghan woman who had her ears and nose cut off by the Taliban for fleeing her abusive in-laws. This picture is disturbing yet powerful, and it became an argument for continuing US military involvement in Afghanistan. The woman in the photo, Aisha, willingly posed for this picture so she could help make the world see the type of effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan. The image draws the public’s attention to her plight, without dehumanizing her as the subject. Furthermore, the effective power of this image provoked people to do things such as volunteer and become involved in related political campaigns.
Image Courtesy of INSTITUTE for TIME
The momentum that can be created by the power of a picture or image is further intensified with the power of social media. With the ability to quickly share images seamlessly online, it creates many opportunities for increased activism and further engagement. Consequently, when an image reinforces an existing narrative surrounding a tragic event while dehumanizing a subject, social media can be a very malevolent medium. Not only can it desensitize the public, but it can also potentially influence criminals to commit related crimes. For example, with all of the mass shootings in the US, media coverage could actually be worsening these tragedies by giving criminals heightened attention making their crimes seem more enormous which contributes to their “self-mythologization.” National affairs editor Mark Follman, says that “it is what they want, and it’s a certain responsibility that the media has now that we know that, not to engage with any more than we need to in order to report forensically for the public interest.” This same principle should be applied to publishing tragic images. We must ask ourselves if an image’s public interest is greater than its potential negative impact.
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