Photojournalism is the use of photographs in conjunction with the reporting of news in media such as print newspapers, magazines, television news and internet reporting. Photojournalism distinguishes itself from other forms of professional photography by its adherence to the principles of journalism: timeliness, accuracy, fair representation of the context of events and facts reported, and accountability to the public (Westbrook, n.d.). The primary role of visual journalists is to report visually on the significant events and varied viewpoints in the common world, and the primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand (NPPA Code of Ethics, n.d.).
Photojournalism has the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images. In my opinion, photojournalism is similar to documentary photography in a way, except that the highlight of journalism is timeliness. Photojournalism is also informative, and relevant to society, as well as informing us of what is happening around the world.
Photojournalism is an essential part of the news media. Photojournalists can be considered as news reporters but more objective than news writers. The purposes of photojournalism are to show the venues, spread news, and trigger impact on society. Consequently, photojournalism brings audiences closer to realities; it makes audiences feel vivid, complete, and helps them to understand the news.
Nowadays, news can literally travel the globe within minutes. The usage of the internet, videophones, and excellent quality of printing technology has made the role of photojournalism a more visible presence.
Driven by a desire to understand how the umma, the polity of Muslims throughout the world, let violent jihadism develop in its midst, Abbas travels through 16 countries (In Whose Name, n.d.).
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| Lebanon |
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| Afghanistan |
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| Thailand |
Bruce Gilden continues to photograph the effects of the foreclosure crisis in America (Detroit Foreclosures, n.d.).
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| Detroit Foreclosures |
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| Detroit Foreclosures |
- Are there rules that photojournalists should follow? Why? Why not?
There certainly are rules that photojournalist should follow.
As photojournalism becomes a more visible presence in today’s society, photojournalists have a much greater responsibility of ensuring that they present images that are objective. Since the advent of digital photography, it became possible for individuals to manipulate images. But that does not change the fact that readers perceive photos as a medium which takes its starting point in reality. This is where the question of ethics comes in. This is why there is a code of ethics that have been established to address these issues.
Photographic and video images can reveal great truths, expose wrongdoing and neglect, inspire hope and understanding and connect people around the globe through the language of visual understanding (NPPA Code of Ethics, n.d.). By following certain rules (as the code of ethics), photojournalists are expected to promote the highest quality in all forms of visual journalism and to strengthen public confidence in the profession (NPPA Code of Ethics, n.d.). However, there is no unifying creed, no standard code of ethics. Accepted ethical practices can vary widely by region and by country.
The code of ethics as set out by the national press photographers association is as follows (NPPA Code of Ethics, n.d.):
1. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
2. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
3. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one's own bias in the work.
4. Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.
5. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
6. Editing should maintain the integrity of the photgraphic images' content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
7. Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
8. Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
9. Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other photojournalists.
Most of the media agree that the only acceptable changes are those used to improve the quality of the photograph, but without changing the context/facts on the photograph in any sense (Course Notes, n.d.). Deleting, as well as adding, objects or people is not acceptable in photojournalism. These actions change the fundamental of the photograph and could impact viewer’s standpoint significantly.
Papal delegation, Liberty Times, December 2007 (“10 News”, 2009)
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| Papal Delegation - Original |
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| Papal Delegation - Published |
Here is an example of fraud photographs in photojournalism that adding people:
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| Civil War Generals - Original |
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| Civil War Generals - Published |
- Is the ethics of taking journalistic photos different than the ethics of writing a news story?
The ethics of taking journalistic and the ethics of writing a news story are similar.
Like a news writer, a photojournalist is also a reporter. A professional in news writing is about being in the right place at the right time and reporting the truth. In the photojournalism industry, professionalism, however, connotes more than being in the right place at the right time with the right camera; it requires technical skill, news gathering experience, and of course ethics. Both forms of media are required to report events based on facts; regardless of the way the event is addressed to public, the context should be accurate and accountable. From this point, both photojournalists and news writers are reporting the real events of the world and responsible for expose the truth to the public, thus, the guidelines they follow would be similar regarding to the ethics.
However, photograph does not provide audiences with answers (A photograph will not tell you why a child is crying.), while written news does not provide connections between realities and audiences. Therefore it is doubly important that the written and the photographic story complement each other and use each others' strengths.
News images shape our culture in ways both profound and deep. The impact of altering press photograph can be both positive and negative depending on whether the alteration is within an acceptable level. If a retouching of a press photograph is limited to basic exposure and color correction, cropping, resizing, or conversion to grayscale which make the photograph clearer or more attractive without changing its original meaning, it is acceptable. Then the impact could be positive for the benefit of the audiences. Any retouching that alters the meaning of the original photo is definitely unacceptable in photojournalism. It is a means of manipulating public’s understanding of certain facts that reflected in the photograph. In this circumstance, the impact of altering would be negative and could be significant.
In recent years, one of the biggest photojournalism “scandals” centered around Los Angeles Times photographer Brian Walski (Bersak, 2006).
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| Original 1 - by Brian Walski |
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| Original 2 - by Brian Walski |
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| Published - by Brain Walski (2006) |
In Original Photo 1, a British soldier is gesturing to a group of Iraqi citizens to take cover because they were taking incoming fire. In Original Photo 2, the same soldier is visible but not gesturing, and an Iraqi man is standing while holding a child. Walski used computer software to combine the two images so that it appears that the soldier is telling the Iraqi man to “get down.” Two news photographs of a gun-toting soldier had been combined to create a more intense photo.
Walski’s doctored image went out over the Newscom wire network, and appeared in newspapers around the country. Walski was fired from his position at the Los Angeles Times after the discovery of the manipulation. His image and his actions sparked a heated debate within the journalistic community.
Walski’s action is clearly a violation of the code of ethics and had a huge impact upon the public. The National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics reads in part, “Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context. Do not manipulate images in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.”
The following is a digitally manipulated image after the photographs have been taken, it is a photographic fraud perpetrated by Reuters photographers and editors (The Reuters Photo Scandal, 2006):
The following is a digitally manipulated image after the photographs have been taken, it is a photographic fraud perpetrated by Reuters photographers and editors (The Reuters Photo Scandal, 2006):
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| Published (The Reuters Photo Scandal, 2006) |
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| Original (The Reuters Photo Scandal, 2006) |
We have seen lot examples of how press photography is manipulated to blind readers. After all, in my opinion, as long as the press photography sticks with the truth, it can be edited in post-production. Otherwise, if the alteration of the photography is aimed to hide or twist facts, it is unacceptable to do so.
References:
References:
10 News Photos That Took Retouching Too Far. (2009, May 21). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Web Media Brands, http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/10-news-photos-that-took-photoshop-too_b328
Bersak, D.R. (2006, Aug. 11). Ethics in Photojournalism: Past, Present, and Future. Retrieved February 28, 2012, from http://web.mit.edu/drb/Public/PhotoThesis
Course Notes Week 9. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://sites.google.com/site/shootingthetruth/Home/modules/week-9/course-notes-week-9
Detroit Foreclosures. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Magnum Photos, http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/foreclosures-detroit
In Whose Name?. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Magnum Photos, http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/whose-name
NPPA Code of Ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from The National Press Photographers Association http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.html
The Reuters Photo Scandal (2006, August). Retrieved February 29, 2012, from http://www.zombietime.com/reuters_photo_fraud/
Westbrook, D. (n.d.). A Brief History of Photojournalism. Retrieved February 28, 2012, from http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm
Group Members:
Ya Tong Li
Tian Tian Cui
Jing Yuan
Thanks for Viewing! Have a Good Day ~~~~
Group Members:
Ya Tong Li
Tian Tian Cui
Jing Yuan
Thanks for Viewing! Have a Good Day ~~~~
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