Unethical Representation of Photos

Mackenzie Phalen 

mp309018@ohio.edu

Some people who are not educated on the truth behind visuals may not understand just how vital ethical validity and credibility are to individuals through content. 

Though photojournalist photos are represented through various platforms, whether it be a post promoting a product or message, visuals are used to persuade and educate viewers. According to Granite State College, "in simple terms, it means that the use of visual media should neither internationally distort the integrity of a message nor promote a false impression or interpretation, which, as a whole, impacts the credibility of the author."

There have been several examples of photos being misrepresented. For instance, if a photojournalist's picture is altered and posted through a platform, people believe it can change the entire message, usually in a negative way. This situation frequently occurs through advertising; Volkswagen came across an issue regarding false advertising through visuals. According to Insider" On March 29 this year, the Federal Tarde Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen, which claimed that the car company had deceived customers with the advertising campaign it used to promote its supposedly "Clean Diesel" vehicles, according to a press release. 

Photo By: AP 

Recreation of images from the past always draws a fine line regarding ethical truths behind ideas. National Geographic, unfortunately, came across this issue through an act of recreating a vision for the greater good of others to be educated. According to Granite State College, "An image used by the University of Wisconsin for their 2001 course catalog considered a crowed shot for its cover, but it did not appear to reflect the desired diversity of students." This situation was unethical for the media editors to consent because an accurate image did not exist. 

                                                                Photo By: NA 

Overall, photojournalism uses photos to represent a story to provide further insight into what occurred through an event or topic. However, images range from such a wide range, allowing for more significant issues regarding unethical representation due to the numerous amount of people exposed to visual content and the ability in today's age to post anytime through various corrupt platforms.