Visual Manipulation

Kisha Ravi

kr208215@ohio.edu

It has now become easier than ever before to manipulate visuals whether it is to further a certain message in the news industry or it is merely to make an image look “prettier.” Visual journalists, both those employed by news agencies and freelancers, are bound by a certain code of ethics that do not allow them to alter their visuals, in order to maintain integrity and accuracy.

The first photographer who comes to mind while talking about manipulation is Steve McCurry. His images were widely used in a journalistic context, most popularly by the publication National Geographic, until there was debate about his credibility. It came to light that he would often stage his subjects and remove certain objects from his photographs for a cleaner look.

Image source: undraw.co

It can be easy to think of manipulation in the sense of altering images and videos in the post-production process, but in the world of journalism, it is much more than that. Doctored images and deep fakes are certainly a problem now that can’t be ignored, but the issue can also extend to staging the situation or omission of information — which can sometimes be hard to near impossible to detect in the finished product.

Other aspects like the “observer effect” as photojournalist, Ruben Salvadori, discusses in his TEDxTalk are in my opinion just as concerning as physical manipulation of the photo. No matter what you do, your subject is always going to be aware that you are photographing them. Salvadori also talks about how photographers, especially in war or conflict situations, tend to show the circumstances the way they are not for he sake of the photo, just to get the “perfect picture.” It has become more about what photos win awards and what the audience wants to see, rather than about what the reality is.

While talking about things like omission and integrity, it’s essential to discuss that objectivity while taking pictures is something that will never fully be attainable. It’s important to understand the biases that we photojournalists come with, and how we may impact a situation. At the same time, photos as well as videos have their incomparable place in powerful, truthful storytelling. It is also up to the audience to question everything and to the journalism industry to create work within the code of ethics.

more info about manipulated images — http://www.alteredimagesbdc.org