Blurred Lines: Ethical Dilemmas of Covering Protests

Ellie Roberto 

ecroberto22@gmail.com 

 

With civil unrest continuing in the United States, photojournalists and videographers must ask a question: "Should protesters' faces be blurred to protect them from harm?" 

The most basic principle of journalism is truth. By blurring the faces of protesters, journalists are manipulating photos and making them less true. These are historic moments, and they must be captured truthfully with complete transparency. 

NPR took a stand on this issue saying that they would not obscure the faces of protesters. They argued that much of today's events are important and they should be shown accurately and recorded for the future. 

NPR says, "Think of the many historic images of protests and how they galvanized the general public. If we can't see their faces, we won't feel the full impact of what they are feeling or understand the truth of their circumstances. That's the power of a great photo."

On the other side of this argument is those who fear for the protesters' ability to speak up safely and without retribution. However, this is not a common argument in the newsroom. 

"[Face blurring] seems to be coming from a subset of people on the internet or social media—people who don’t really understand journalistic ethics—and from those who don’t understand the care with which photojournalists and editors approach touchy subjects like these protests," says Brent Lewis, a photo editor at the New York Times.

In some circumstances, these protest photos can be used against those pictured. In certain states, you can be fired for protesting. In 2015, Baltimore law enforcement used comparative face recognition technology to arrest protesters after the death of Freddie Gray.

Picture source: Nina Berman

 

Protesters understand the risks and potential outcomes of their actions but take the risk anyway because they are passionate about speaking up and being heard. If it's a peaceful protest, they don't have to worry about criminal charges. 

Journalists' duty is to civilians. Photojournalists would never use a photo that would intentionally incriminate a protester. They put a lot of thought into what photos they share in order to protect the people they serve.