Photojournalist Mark Hancock once wrote: “A journalist tells a stories. A photographer takes pictures, a photojournalist takes the best of both and locks it into a powerful medium”(Newton, 236). For many years visuals such as photos have been used to add context to an article, photos can allow the reader to relate and understand the story better. Rather than just reading about an event, photo’s that accompany a story connect the viewer to the story in ways that words cannot. That being said, although photojournalist photos are meant to be transparent and accurate, it is becoming more and more apparent that news outlets and freelance photojournalists are manipulating and photo shopping images. Photojournalist are constantly finding themselves …show more content…
Rule-based resolution principle as described in lecture slides is “rules exist for a purpose, they promote order and justice and should be followed. Follow the principle that you want others to follow. In photojournalism one ethical rule that photojournalist find themselves struggling with is how much image editing is too much editing. It is ethical to fix minor exposure or contrast issues in a photo however, an issue that is becoming more and more problematic is when photojournalist change the tone entirely of a photo or add subjects to the picture. Brian Coopers “A few photographers stain media image; Photojournalists are to record Events not create them” touches on this issue. "A supposed "victim" of a building collapse conveniently positioned atop the rubble without a speck of dust on his body. Don't buildings generate lots of dirt and dust when they tumble? This same "victim" was shown in other images, taken minutes earlier, healthy and busily assisting in rescue operations” (Cooper, 2006). With the advancement in Photoshop technology it becomes very challenging to truly rely on timing when they have the ability to recreate the perfect image simply by merging multiple images into one. It can all be traced back to Kidders Truth vs Loyalty, photojournalist can alter the truth using Photoshop to portray a scene being more gruesome than it actually is. Or they can remain ethical/loyal to what actually happened and release real time images. It is becoming increasingly apparent that some photojournalist are editing their images to attract a larger audience and by doing so they are ignoring basic ethical rules of the National Press Photographers Association “Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.” By adding to an image it is less accurate to the events that actually happened, it over-exaggerates or under exaggerates the events taking
The rights of paparazzi journalists must be protected to prevent the slow erosion of the rights of all journalists. If we allow the paparazzi to be used as a scapegoat and to be persecuted and regulated it will not be long until the next most radical fringe group of journalists come under fire. This cycle will eventually l...
It’s his compassion for his subjects and his commitment to them that surpasses the act of making a pretty picture. Spending days with his subjects in the slums of Harlem or the hardly developed mountains of West Virginia, he immerses himself into the frequently bitter life of his next award-winning photo. Often including word for word text of testimonials recorded by junkies and destitute farmers, Richards is able to provide an unbiased portrayal. All he has done is to select and make us look at the faces of the ignored, opinions and reactions left to be made by the viewer. Have you ever been at the beach safely shielded by a dark pair of sunglasses and just watched?
5 Light, Ken. Tremain, Kerry. Witness in our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.
An image has the explicit power of telling a story without saying any words, that’s the power behind a photo. A photo tends to comes with many sides to a story, it has the ability to manipulate and tell something differently. There is a tendency in America, where explicit photos of war or anything gruesome occurring in the world are censored for the public view. This censorship hides the reality of our world. In “The War Photo No One Would Publish” Torie DeGhett centers her argument on censorship, detailing the account of graphic Gulf War photo the American press refused to publish. (73) DeGhett argues that the American public shouldn’t be restrained from viewing graphic content of the war occurring around the world. She believes that incomplete
The mass media carries with it unparalleled opportunities to impart information, but also opportunities to deceive the public, by misrepresenting an event. While usually thought of as falsifying or stretching facts and figures, manipulation can just as easily be done in the use of photography and images. These manipulations may be even more serious – and subtle – than written manipulations, since they may not be discovered for years, if ever, and can have an indelible and lasting impact on the viewer, as it is often said, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. One of the most significant images of Twentieth Century America was the photograph of a migrant mother holding her child. The photograph was taken during the Great Depression by photographer Dorothea Lange, and has remained an enduring symbol of the hardship and struggle faced by many families during the Depression Era. This image was also an example of the manipulation of photography, however, for it used two major forms of manipulation that remain a problem in journalistic photography.
Cameras go way back to the year 1879, and have advanced greatly throughout the years. They used to be huge and bulky with all kinds of attachments and stands. Now they are so small and thin that they are put in everyday items that we use, for instance, cell phones and laptops. Backs then cameras were less than $40 and they were made with glass that was 6.5 by 8.5 inches thick (Patti). Now in this time of age, cameras can go from a few hundred bucks to thousands of dollars depending on the camera, and they are much smaller with clearer pictures now. In 1912 Kodak came out with the Vest Pocket camera, which sold for only six dollars. It had a glass lens of 2 1/4 by 3 1/4 inches thick, which is much
This is pretty much golden rule or empathy based and to do what is best for others in a given situation. This being said, is it the responsibility of the media to promote the golden rule or to record life as it happens? On one hand, the media could dismiss all knowledge of said perpetrator and promote the well being of others in terms of an empathetic point of view. On the other hand, is it not important to establish a sense of factual evidence and details from an event that occurred? Citizens should be informed, however, from a care based ethics point of view which promotes the strict foundation of doing good unto others, the best answer would be to not publish facts and pictures to keep the feelings of a said society at bay.
As a result, many photographers take pictures to keep society updated on the events that are happening around the world. However, many turn to the idea of manipulating images to garner awareness of the current events. Although there are many instances where many don’t realize that a photo has been altered, it brings into question, the concept of ethics. Personally when I look at a photograph I assume that the photo is a clear distinction of the event that had happened at the moment. However, when the photos becomes manipulated I feel as though the truth has been distorted. The reason being is because they I look at the image I start to create a pseudo reality of what might have taken place and I try to understand the symbolism and emotions of the photo. Once you distort these images it then brings into question about whether it is ethically okay to distort the image. Although some photo manipulations is considered okay by some, others disapprove on the idea because it deceives the public. Some examples in photos are manipulated is when people are trying to making someone or a product look more appealing. However, when a picture is being used for journalistic purposes and propaganda I definitely don’t approve of it. This reason is that you are deceiving the public from the truth. Furthermore, it brings into question the intentions of the photographer, is the photo that is being manipulated being made so to garner more attention to the
Photoshop can be used to depict opponents in undesirable situations or to depict events which haven’t actually happened. There have been numerous political scandals where one candidate doctors a photograph of their opponent. In 2012 Wil Cardon, a Republican candidate for the senate, launched a campaign against U.S. Representative Jeff Flake by using doctored photos of Flake to imply that he opposed SB 1070. The pictures had been doctored to feature Flake standing with Obama (McCombs, "Flake: Doctored Photos 'Dishonest '."). Here the doctored photograph was meant to deceive voters into believing an opponent had a certain viewpoint. The pictures depicted a scenario which never happened and may not display the full truth. In this case the doctored photograph crossed the fine moral line. The article Is it Real, Or Is It Photoshoped? discusses the increasing concern of doctored before and after pictures presented to clients by physicians (Anthem Media Group). In this case the photograph is purposely trying to deceive a perspective client into believe that the procedure will be more effective than it actually is. The picture does not present the truth in a scenario where it is unethical not to present the truth. Doctored photographs are not only unethical when they are used deceptively for one’s gain, but also when they are used to destroy another’s
Through this establishment, Quinn shows how the journalists have a moral obligation to provide accurate information to society, and the digital manipulation of images to deceive the said audience causes growing distrust in the media – thus affecting utility (the utilitarian aspect behind the necessity of providing ethical photographic information). The other philosophical doctrine analyzed is Kantian deontology. Quinn examines how the use of ‘dodge and burn’ editing is a violation of the truth due to the artificial lightening/darkening of pictures- pointing out the fact that journalists have a responsibility to essentially recreate reality, and anything that strays away from this premise enters the realm of deception and deceit and is therefore a lie. Finally, virtual theory is analyzed in the article. Aaron Quinn argues that virtue ethics are necessary in the field of journalism, and virtues such as truth telling, integrity and accuracy are important in order to allow journalists to make decisions whilst taking into account individual agent traits unlike the principles of
This is the basis of freedom of speech. This allows anyone to express their opinions whether it written or photographed. With this principle the use of controversial images should be used in the media. The truth is images may show face of victims of horrific events, but most images portray it as a tragedy, not as a way to identify victims. Yes, the cost of the victim and their families is there, but the image must be shown for the greater cause. Most controversial images are used mainly to get empathy or anger people’s emotions. If photographers can’t show these images, then really are we truly a country made on the beliefs of freedom of
Journalism is considered by many to essential in maintaining a democracy and the trust of the people within it. The public relies on journalism and media, to close the distance between current events and the public to facilitate immediate attention. The use of photojournalism in times of war is depended on, in order to create a type of vicarious experience for the reade;, so they in some way can experience the conflict themselves without physically being there. However, I have come to notice an issue within the way media is proposed. It is true that a photograph can speak a thousand words, but it can leave many words unspoken. It creates an essential question: What is not being show and what are we unable to see? Does this information present the event in its entirety? After reading the Atlantic’s photo-essay, titled: “In Focus: Afghanistan October 2011,” The complexity of portraying war in photojournalism began to present itself. A gap exists; a missing perspective within the narrative of photojournalism and this gap has the ability to manipulate the very public its meant to inform.
Newton, Julianne H. The Burden of Visual Truth: The Role of Photojournalism in Mediating Reality. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.
“It is unjust for photographers of mass media to create unrealistic edits of human bodies for the consideration of viewers' psyches.”
Photojournalism is a specific form of journalism that employs the use of images to form a news story that meaningfully contributes to the media. This allows a photographer to capture stills that tell the story of a moment in time. Photojournalism creates a transparency between the media and the people as it depicts an accurate representation where meaning can be misinterpreted through text. Photojournalism largely contributes to the way we understand the reality of a moment. Becker (1982) supports this concept as he compares photography to paintings. He says that paintings get their meaning from the painters, collectors, critics, and curators; therefore photographs get their meaning from the way people understand them and use them. Photojournalist’s