To Blur or Not to Blur? That is The Ethical Question

Autum Meyers  

autummeyers33@gmail.com

https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/06/protesters-blur-faces-anonymize-photos/

    Protests have been a part of history since nearly the beginning of time. Protests give voice to people who are not usually heard, and draw attention to large issues in our society. It is important that journalists cover protests objectively and approach them without the inherent biases that have long been a part of the media industry so that their messages and goals can be accurately shared. However, because there are so many negative connotations that come along with protests there is an ethical debate about how protests should be photographed. Should protestors' faces be shown or should they be blurred? 

    On the one hand, blurring out protestors' faces in protest photographs may be a good thing because it protects people's identities. According to the article "Blurring the Line Between Reporting the Truth and Minimizing Harm", people can lose their jobs for protesting. https://mediaengagement.org/research/blurring-the-line-between-reporting-the-truth-and-minimizing-harm/

Also, photographing a person's face in a protest can even be an issue of safety. Imagine someone recognizing your face from a photo and you get attacked because they don't agree with what you're standing up for. 

Another big issue of concern with photographing people's faces during protests is that it can make it easier for the government to charge a person with a crime, which can discourage future protests from happening and make people afraid to share their opinions. 

On the flip side of this, though, blurring out protestors' faces from photographs can dehumanize the photographs and make it harder for an audience to connect with and listen to what these protestors are saying. In the article "No, Photojournalists Aren't Advocating the Blurring of Faces at Protests", it is explained that  "Without the faces of the protestors, it becomes a gathering of the faceless. A gathering of the nameless" which makes it difficult for people to take these protestors and their cause seriously. https://blog.photoshelter.com/2020/06/no-photojournalists-arent-advocating-the-blurring-of-faces-at-protests/

Also, journalists have an obligation to report the truth and to not tamper with photos or videos, and blurring out faces can be seen as neglecting to tell the whole truth. 

Overall, it's a very controversial ethical debate whether to blur or not blur a protestor's face. As journalists, we must balance our need to tell the truth and share information with the public and give a voice to those who don't always have it, and our obligation to minimize harm to the people we are photographing. 

I feel that the best way to meet all of a journalist's obligations is to ask the protestors who are being photographed if it is okay for their pictures to be used. I strongly feel that publishing protest photos and leaving people's faces intact are important not only to truth but also to the message protestors are trying to send. However, I feel the most respectful thing to do in any journalistic situation is to ask permission for people's stories and identities to be shared before a journalist publishes their piece. 

 The choice to not blur out protestors' faces in photographs is a difficult ethical decision to make, but I believe that having a face to go along with the voice makes protests that much more powerful and personal. Hopefully, as we move into the future, protests will have less of a negative connotation to them, and people will not have to fear being harmed for standing up for what they believe in. Until then, journalists should do what they can to protect them while also continuing to serve the public in the best way possible.