PHOTOJOURNALISM: ETHICAL OR NOT?

Journalism 1

LEARNING GOAL *APPLY THE SJP CODE OF ETHICS TO PHOTOJOURNALISM

*UNDERSTAND A JOURNALIST’S RESPONSIBILITY TO BE FAIR, BALANCED AND ACCURATE IN REPORTING AND WRITING

ETHICAL SITUATIONS JOURNALISTS FACE EVERY DAY:

Are images of violence and death too distressing to publish—or too important to ignore?

WRITE THIS DOWN:

Ethical: conforming to accepted standards of conduct ethical behavior.

FATHER’S FUNERAL

Meghan McCain, daughter of John McCain, a US Congressmen who died of cancer in August 2018, mourns the death of her father at the Arizona Capitol.

Does this photo have an impact on you?

Is this ethical to publish? Why or why not?

“THE FALLING MAN” – WORLD TRADE CENTERS 9/11

Some argue that this photo is haunting, but yet not as shocking as what photos of the dead may have looked like on the ground, crushed by rubble or those after they jumped.

What is the impact of this photo?

Is this ethical to publish?

DOWNED FLIGHT IN UKRAINE

Photos from the downed flight in Ukraine were among the most widely viewed images of 2015. Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press

WHY ARE PHOTOS SO POWERFUL?

Part of their power stems precisely from the fact that they show moments of pain and death usually hidden from view. It’s difficult to look at these images, and difficult to look away.

AFGHAN TEEN ATTACKED BY TALIBAN BECOMES “ICONIC”

In 2010, Time published a controversial cover image: Aisha, an Afghan teenager who had her nose and ears cut off by the Taliban. Kira Pollack, Time’s director of photography, explains that one of the considerations staffers took into account when debating whether to use the image was the effect on Aisha of becoming “iconic,” particularly since she still lived in Afghanistan at the time. “There are all these other things that go into these discussions,” Pollack says. “What happens when children see these pictures? That’s a conversation that we have at Time as well, because our audience is our families.”

HOW IS THE PHOTO FRAMED AND PUBLICIZED?

The way an image is framed and publicized is just as important as the content of the image itself.

Perhaps the most persistent questions about how images of violence and death are framed are whether they dehumanize their subjects and whether they prioritize the suffering of certain groups over that of others.

Example: Coverage of Paris attacks, but another bombing happened the same night and it didn’t get the same coverage by the media. Why? US often prioritizes certain countries as more important and that’s what makes the news, versus covering everything. Ethical dilemma!!!

BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING

Jeff Bauman, in wheelchair, praises images of the Boston bombing for “showing the world the truth” Charles Krupa/Associated Press

“I told Charlie that I understand now, like I didn’t then, that he was helping us that day, in the best way he knew how,” Bauman wrote. “He was showing the world the truth—that bombs tear flesh and smash bones—and making the tragedy real.”

JOURNALISTS NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THEIR JOURNALISTIC BRAIN, AND SEE THE IMAGE FROM THE VIEWER’S PERSPECTIVE.

“As a photographer, I didn’t like or dislike [the photographs]. But as a citizen, there was a storm happening inside me … It was painful to see my people dead and just corpses there in the middle of a field, [photos] being taken by anyone.” - Fellow journalist who felt uneasy seeing American colleagues taking photographs of dead Ukrainian fighters.

THE FIRST TEST TO ASK

YOURSELF:

Is the photo central to the story? If the story cannot be told without it, the image must be published, no matter how distressing it might be, she argues.

WHAT RULES, IF ANY, SHOULD NEWS ORGANIZATIONS FOLLOW WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO PUBLISH SUCH IMAGES?

Journalists should ensure the photograph isn’t being printed solely for its shock or entertainment value but conveys a story or message.

Journalists should ensure that their publication sets aside sufficient space for an accompanying comment or text.

Journalists should ensure that the image maintains the dignity of the person depicted. This is especially true if the person is identifiable.

Images of an individual who has died by suicide should not be published.

Journalists should be prepared to engage in a dialog with their readers and publish letters to the editor regarding controversial photographs

ETHICAL OR NOT? STARVING CHILD AND VULTURE

http://100photos.time.com/

ETHICAL OR NOT?

TANK MAN

ETHICAL OR NOT? FAMINE IN SOMALIA

ETHICAL OR NOT? GRIEF

ETHICAL OR NOT? “FALLING MAN”

ETHICAL OR NOT? BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING

ETHICAL OR NOT? SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS IN EUROPE

Just a little boy’s body washed ashore, one of thousands of victims of the refugee crisis unfolding along the borders of Europe. Yet the images of Alan Kurdi lying on a beach at Bodrum, Turkey, sparked debate.

Several frames were available. Some showed Kurdi’s body face down on the beach; others showed a policeman cradling the boy in his arms.

A B

YOUR TURN:

You are the editor of a big newspaper, and you have an ethical decision to make about the coverage of the Syrian Refugee Crisis happening in Europe. You have two photos (Photo A and Photo B). Which is the most ethical to print? Use what we learned today about making and explaining your decision.

Choose A or B as most ethical.

Write your thought process as to why you would choose this photo to publish in a newspaper according to ethical practices…

Talk about how the SPJ code of ethics related to this situation

Explain why you didn’t choose the other photo.