Assignment - Ethical Dilemmas in Journalism · Ethical Dilemmas in Journalism ... Comment [L4]:...
Transcript of Assignment - Ethical Dilemmas in Journalism · Ethical Dilemmas in Journalism ... Comment [L4]:...
Ethical Dilemmas in Journalism
With reference to the controversial photograph, the key question raised is whether the public can trust the
photographs that they see every day. Herein lays the ethical dilemmas faced by both the New York Daily
News (NYDN) editors and photographer, John Tlumacki, as they are deeply involved in the publication
process.
As part of a professional media body, NYDN is expected to adhere to the standard codes of ethics and
practices proposed by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA, n.d.) and Corporation for
Public Broadcasting (CPB, n.d.; Kaplan, n.d.; Stavitsky & Dvorkin, n.d.). In essence, the ideals of
publishing news content and photographs as the unvarnished truth should be the common code of practice
for journalists and editors alike.
Despite these guidelines, there are many sensationalist publications (such as the National Enquirer) that
do not conform to these standards in the pursuit of readership and advertorial profits. The need to balance
commercial success with conformity to conformity to journalistic standards provides a challenge to the
ethical ideals that the NYDN editor may have.
While the guidelines propose ethical reporting through the usage of truthful photographs and news
content, the fact that both the editor and photographer are opinionated creatures means the creation of
news content which may be angled along certain slants. As the NYDN photograph was manipulated out of
sensitivity towards the victims and their families (Pompeo, 2013), it clearly states the aesthetical opinions
of the editor towards journalism.
When traversing the issue of aesthetics, it can be argued that the photographer is a subjective creature that
creates his personal perspective in a matter of expression. The single frame of a photograph is the
representation of the photographer’s perspective at that point in time. Viewing the numerous Boston
bombing photographs (boston.com, 2013), Tlumacki presents a variety of perspectives of the situation –
Comment [L1]: In the case of the photo in the TMA, the face of the victim was not shown. Therefore, how much was sensitivity towards the victim a factor, Vincent?
based on locations, timing, subject foci, and those of graphical nature. While each photograph is a witness
of truth of that particular moment, it is important to acknowledge the fact that photography is subjective
in nature through the photographer’s personal interpretation and selection of the moment.
With that in mind, it can be argued that the idealistic nature of factual reporting is defeated by the
subjective nature of the photographs themselves. While this argument may be excessive, it clearly draws
attention to the need for a balanced attitude towards truthfulness of journalism. Thus with Tlumacki’s
photograph, readers should be allowed to form opinions of their own based on the original photograph
(Stroud & Reese, n.d.), and editors not seek to alter or guide reader opinions through image manipulation.
Contextual Solutions as the Editor
With the furore caused with regards to the photo manipulation, NYDN and its editors can now codify a set
of rules and expectations for its staff and photographers as well as explore alternatives to its current “case
study”.
The creation of NYDN’s rules and standards can be derived from NPPA’s proposed code of ethics (NPPA,
n.d.) and additional guidelines to allow editorial control over news content. These additional guidelines
should be explored and negotiated by NYDN photographers, editorial and management staff. The need for
all NYDN stakeholders to be involved is to allow for the understanding and perspectives of their
individual needs and concerns with respect to the publication of news content while balancing the need to
present truthfulness in their news content.
One proposed guideline would be to improve the selection process of the published photograph. From
Tlumacki’s range of photographs covering the Boston bombing, the editors are presented a good selection
of choices that can create maximum news impact without the need for image manipulation – an
alternative photograph can be proposed to that effect.
Comment [L2]: Does allowing photos used in journalism to be altered, does it make the photo more or less subjective?
Comment [L3]: However, if no other alternatives were available in the time crunch, what would you do?
Original Photograph Alternative Photograph1
The alternative photograph is proposed due to its symbolic reference to the violence, injuries and death in
Boston. The inclusion of the American flag-symbol highlights the proximity of the bombing for the
American readership. In terms of graphical nature, the alternative photograph implies the devastation to
good effect while retaining a sense of editorial taste showing sensitivity towards the victims and their
families, as well as the general public who may be adverse towards violent and graphic images.
However, if the management of NYDN is oriented towards readership and commercial success, the
original unedited photograph should still be seriously considered as it generates a more visceral
perspective of the Boston carnage that would pique the interest of potential readers.
Original Photograph Edited Photograph2
Under the proposed guideline of editorial content, the editors may choose to utilise the same photograph
but inform the readership that it has been edited for sensitivity issues. The usage of a pixelated block will
serve as a discretionary measure without the need to manipulate the image beyond its original truth of
perspective.
1 See Appendix for larger size and photo credit 2 See Appendix for larger size and photo credit
Comment [L4]: Good research.
Comment [L5]: Perhaps.
Comment [L6]: This may be a workable compromise.
While it is important to maintain a code of ethics and standards in terms of truthful journalism, there is a
need to balance the expectations of the photographer, editor, management and the general public.
Additionally, NYDN should publicly release its customised set of codes and standards so that the general
public can be aware of, and be able to personally judge NYDN’s news content for truthfulness and
accuracy.
Total word count: 863 / 800
References boston.com. (2013, April 15). Terror at the Boston Marathon. Retrieved from boston.com The Big
Picture: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2013/04/terror_at_the_boston_marathon.html CPB. (n.d.). About CPB. Retrieved from cpb: http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/ Kaplan, J. (n.d.). Objectivity & Balance: Today's Best Practices in American Journalism. Washington:
Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved from http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/whitepapers/cpb_BestPractices_Kaplan.pdf
Louise, G. (2013). Editorial Photographs and Patterns of Practice. Journalism Practice, 7(3), 314-328. doi:10.1080/17512786.2012.726836
NPPA. (n.d.). NPPA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from NPPA: The Voice of Visual Journalists: https://nppa.org/code_of_ethics
Pompeo, J. (2013, April 17). 'Daily News' doctored front-page photo from Boston bombing. Retrieved from Capital: http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2013/04/8529102/daily-news-doctored-front-page-photo-boston-bombing
Stavitsky, A. G., & Dvorkin, J. A. (n.d.). Best Practices in Assessing Objectivity and Balance. Washington: Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/whitepapers/cpb_bestPractices_DvorkinStavitsky.pdf
Stroud, N. J., & Reese, S. D. (n.d.). Objectivity & Balance: How Do Readers and Viewers of News and Information Reach Conclusions Regarding Objectivity and Balance? Washington: Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/whitepapers/cpb_ReadersReachConclusions_StroudReese.pdf
Appendix
Photo Credits John Tlumacki, The Boston Globe
Original Photograph
Photo Credits John Tlumacki, The Boston Globe
Alternative Photograph
Photo Credits John Tlumacki, The Boston Globe
Edited version with pixelated block
Generally a credible effort at exploring some of the key ethical dilemmas facing journalists in the era where technology increasingly allows lines to be blurred. Nice work, Vincent.