Photojournalism and Protest Ethics

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Tre Spencer 

ts582119@ohio.edu 

In modern history, protests have paved the way for modern journalism and photojournalism to capture the emotion of public opinion. Likewise, recent protests such as the Black Lives Matter movement have opened the door to conversations on the ethics of covering and photographing ethics. 

According to the National Press Photographers Associations' code of ethics, press photographers must resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities, refuse to alter events and maintain the original quality of work or sound during the editing process. Press photographers and photojournalists need to follow this set of ethical codes, especially when covering protests and mass events. The risk of harm is more remarkable when photojournalists break those ethical codes in their coverage and reporting. 

When reporting protests and mass gathering events, how visual journalists approach such events is also essential. The gathering of prior knowledge before events ensures that journalists keep those different perspectives in mind when grabbing photos and videos of protesters, police, and counter-protesters. 

According to an article from Poynter, the way we photograph protesters is much more complicated than protecting the identities of individuals seen in the images. Instead, it's a matter of "how to document the suffering of others, including the pain, fear and anger invoked or provoked in the context of demonstrations," and having visual representations for words on a page are great ways to grab a reader or audiences attention. 

Having a visual aid in a story is an essential element, whether video, photo, or graphic, alongside quality writing is an excellent way of garnering attention from audiences. The University of Oregon interviewed several photojournalists about their photos and the impact of visuals. The study reported, "The journalists thought that such images can evoke great change, but may also cause great harm. However, the results suggested that as the impact of graphic images grows, their ability to cause harm decreases, according to the participants".

As a journalist in news and information, I must work with photojournalists and press photographers to portray stories with visual aids and ensure that the public listens and hears the truth. But, again, truth is the best tool that journalists have in their arsenal of language, skill, and wit.