Photojournalism: Behind the camera

Rebecca Marion

rm812416@ohio.edu

https://newmediajournalist.wordpress.com/tag/photo-manipulation/ 

I may not be O.J. Simpsons biggest fan, but that doesn’t mean I condone how news organizations manipulated his photo and forced a narrative on readers. In fact, I believe that drastically altered images take more away from a story than they give.

Part of a photojournalists job is to grab the reader’s attention through imagery and communicate meaning with a few to no words. This makes the job photographers do a difficult one when they balance the pressure of deadlines with paying bills and finding the time to spend with family and friends. Is it truly any wonder why photojournalists are tempted to alter images to create a narrative of their own?

According to this week’s reading, “Distorted Picture,” technology meant to make the jobs of journalists easier are being misused and now pose a threat to the creditability of photojournalists and the publications that print their photos. In a world where internet access can make finding the truth a lot easier than ever before, Journalists are being held accountable for any perceived wrongdoings more than ever before.

Allan Detrich, the former photographer for the Toledo Blade, said it well when he said, “I wasn’t the first to tamper with news photos and, unfortunately, I probably won’t be the last.” Getting caught cost Detrich his reputation and he left the newspaper a month after an investigation revealed that he had submitted dozens of doctored photos.

Unfortunately, Detrich hasn’t been the only photographer under fire for manipulating photos. During the 2015 World Press photo competition, more than a few images were disqualified because they were digitally manipulated. This prompted the World Press organization to create a code of ethics for photographers to follow if they intended on entering the following year.

The World Press furthered its quarry into the subject by creating a survey that was completed by around one-third of the contest’s applicants. The survey found that of those who replied to the survey, admitted that they submitted staged photos into their editors.

Years ago, I used to wonder why anyone would risk their integrity and reputation for the sake of completing a job. Now, I understand that the field is journalism never falls short of being demanding and time-consuming.

Pressure doesn’t excuse dishonest, but it can help everyone else understand the weight of the shoes they fill. Journalism isn’t perfect and it never will be, but if we communicate with each there is no solution that cannot be found.