Photojournalism: What is it?

919 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The importance of photojournalism

Truth Be Told

Photojournalism is defined by dictionary.com as is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. A partially unpredictable audience, in the sense that anyone can see it and respond, sees news articles; this opens a window of ethical issues that are involved in reporting images to newspapers and magazines. Awareness of the moral rights and wrongs of journalism helps society to better understand why certain details are censored for the public.

A mutual understanding of what stories are ethically reportable is valuable for both the photographers and the publishers. Information of decent standards is set to guide the moral beliefs of reporters. In the PHOTO JOURNALISM AND ITS ETHICAL ISSUES article, it conversed that Paul Martin Lester’s book, Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach, discussed the six philosophies that are meant to guide photojournalists to answering moral questions for themselves.

1. Categorical Imperative- What goes for one scenario should go for all.

2. Utilitarianism- maximizes the good for the greatest number of people.

3. Hedonism- “do what feels good” school of thought

4. The Golden Mean- Compromise to a middle ground.

5. The Veil of Ignorance- asks the photographer or publisher what they would feel like as the subject of the photo.

6. The Golden Rule- “love thy neighbor as thyself”

Also, there is an ethical code of conduct that was set by the National Press Photographers Association and is “intended to promote the highest quality in all forms of visual journalism and to strengthen public confidence in the profession” (NPPA Code of Ethics). Both the NPPA and Lester have high expectations of photojournalists. As photojournalists turn over images for pub...

... middle of paper ...

...o be told. In today’s society, people tip toe around striking emotional turmoil in other people’s lives. Photojournalists look to force people to ask themselves unsettling questions.

Works Cited

Meyer, Michael. “One day in the war of images.” Columbia Journalism Review Mar.- Apr. 2014: 39-45. Print.

Mirkinson, Jack. "Muammar Gaddafi Dead: Did Newspapers Go Too Far? (GRAPHIC PHOTOS, POLL)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 May 2014.

"NPPA Code of Ethics." National Press Photographers Association. National Press Photographers Association, 2012. Web. 06 May 2014

"PHOTO JOURNALISM AND ITS ETHICAL ISSUES." PHOTO JOURNALISM AND ITS ETHICAL ISSUES. N.p., 25 June 2013. Web. 07 May 2014.

Rogers, Tony. "Graphic Images, Photojournalism - When Should Graphic Images Be Published?" About.com Journalism. About.com, 2014. Web. 07 May 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Torie Deghett's The War Photo No One Would Publish

    1495 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • How Good People Make Tough Choices Summary

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Rushworth Kidder’s book “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” Kidder provides a series of different methods, codes and examples of what being an ethical journalist could mean. He gives examples of different situations where a person’s ethics are tested and what would be a good way to deal with these situations. He starts by explaining the difference between things that are right-versus-right dilemmas, and those that are right-versus-wrong dilemmas.

    Read More

  • The Boston Photographs Analysis

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    While Ephron argued that photos of death and war should be published just because it happened, but those photos do have some purpose. They are to preserve history, accurately record events, and be able to convey strong messages to readers. Photojournalism should be able to open minds of readers because the stories do not necessarily have to be told in a picture. Stories of war and death must be respected and honored, so these kinds of stories should not be unmentioned nor censored. They should be remembered. Also, photojournalism should not be abused in any sort to keep the integrity of the stories being captured. Ephron had said, “photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism,” because it can cause a quicker response. Photojournalism is not only a piece of news, but it is also art. Works of art have the right to be expressed and shown to the

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues In 'All The President's Men And' Welcome To Sarajevo?

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    In comparing ethical issues surrounding the journalists in “All The President’s Men” and “Welcome To Sarajevo”, there are several ethical issues that the journalists experienced. Ethics are an important aspect of journalism, since journalists face a multitude of ethical issues within their industry. Therefore, there are ethical guidelines that journalists’ use called “The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics” [SPJ Code of Ethics]. When analyzing how the journalists in “All The President’s Men” and “Welcome To Sarajevo”, one can refer to the SPJ Code of Ethics to observe the possible ethical issues the journalists experienced. The four main concepts in the SPJ Code of Ethics are: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently,

    Read More

  • Lange Picture Paper

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, the scene in the image was manipulated through stage-managing, a common practice in photojournalism. While the image of the migrant mother, Florence Thompson, appears to the viewer to be a genuine and unprompted look at the hardship and deprivation of a dejected migrant woman. This, of course, was the reality of Ms. Thompson’s personal situation at the time. But the scene itself was micromanaged to appear in a lucid and vivid form in the image, including editing Ms. Thompson’s older children from the image to create the more poignant scene of a mother holding a small child and using a pose in which the woman is looking out into the distance, with the two children told to lo...

    Read More

  • Media Ethics By Philip Rawls Theory Of Justice?

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this text readers will become aware of certain things regarding technology available for altering photos and of the ethical and epistemological issues those possibilities raise. Stated above, the young boy’s father Juan Miguel Gonzalez and his attorney presented photos to the U.S. Government that depict Elian smiling and laughing and loving life in Cuba. In this text Patterson and Wilkins discuss scenarios related to media personal changing pictures with technology advancements that make those changes possible. With these advancements was it possible that the father and his attorney had someone change photos of events to help their side of the legal issue? Was it possible that pictures posted by American Media personnel’s were altered to help support the U.S. from receiving any negative attention? The exact opposite of that approach is called eyewash. Eyewash is the use of stock photos of file footage to illustrate news stories, photos used regardless of the context of the original photograph and sometimes without consent of the subject. The day the INS invaded the Miami resident’s house, all twenty local newspapers used that day showed the image taken by a photographer of the agent pointing his automatic rifle at the terrified boy while he hid in the closet of the family’s home. Many other popular photos taken and used from that day

    Read More

  • Should Photojournalism or Documentary Photography Be Considred Art?

    2303 Words  | 5 Pages

    "A photograph is not merely a substitute for a glance. It is a sharpened vision. It is the revelation of new and important facts." ("Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History."). Sid Grossman, a Photo League photographer expressed this sentiment, summarizing the role photography had on America in the 1940’s and 50’s. During this era, photojournalism climaxed, causing photographers to join the bandwagon or react against it. The question of whether photography can be art was settled a long time ago. Most major museums now have photography departments, and the photographs procure pretty hefty prices. The question of whether photojournalism or documentary photography can be art is now the question at hand. Art collectors are constantly looking to be surprised; today they are excited by images first seen in last week’s newspapers as photojournalism revels in the new status as art “du jour” or “reportage art”.

    Read More

  • The Dichotomy of Photojournalism in the Afghanistan War

    1794 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Photography within the World of Creative Writing

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thinking about autobiographies and photographs led me to the next connection between the two mediums. Even though I have never seen a fiction novel with a photo spread at it center that is not the case with nonfiction in general, this is especially true in ...

    Read More

  • Ethics in Filmmaking

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    1. Nichols, Bill. ‘Why are Ethical Issues Central to Documentary Filmmaking?’ Introduction to Documentary. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2001, p1-20

    Read More

  • Photojournalism Essay

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Photojournalism plays a critical role in the way we capture and understand the reality of a particular moment in time. As a way of documenting history, the ability to create meaning through images contributes to a transparent media through exacting the truth of a moment. By capturing the surreal world and presenting it in a narrative that is relatable to its audience, allows the image to create a fair and accurate representation of reality.

    Read More

  • Journalism and Social Media

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Journalism Ethics Online Journalism Ethics Gatekeeping." Journalism Ethics for the Global Citizen. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. .

    Read More

  • The Importance of Accuracy in Journalism

    1913 Words  | 4 Pages

    Newton, Julianne H. The Burden of Visual Truth: The Role of Photojournalism in Mediating Reality. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.

    Read More

  • Is Journalism a Profession?

    2831 Words  | 6 Pages

    Meyers, C. (2010). The 'Standard Journalism ethics: a philosophical approach? Oxford University Press. Nordenstreng. K. (1995)

    Read More

  • Photography Is The Main Source Of Communication

    1249 Words  | 3 Pages

    Photography has created an outlet for the masses to story tell. It has a way of speaking without words like most art forms and is a manner of expression in itself. To eradicate photography from humans would be equivalent to taking away a limb from humankind. Our society has grown an immense amount of dependency on it. Photography has become almost a daily menial task such as brushing your teeth; where we must take pictures of the things we deem important or equally unimportant, even more so with the invention of social media outlets such as Instagram and Snapchat, where photography is the main source of communication between people who use them. Susan Sontag offers the basis of what taking pictures can undertake in both our daily lives and moments that are not part of our daily lives, such as travel. Traveling to places where one is not accustomed can flare pent up anxiety. A way to subdue that anxiety could be through taking pictures, since it’s the only factor that we have total control over in a space where we don’t have much, or, any control of our surrounding environment. On the other hand, taking photos can also be a tool of power in the same sense as it allows for it to be a defense against anxiety. With the camera in our hands, we have the power to decide who, what, where, when, and why we take a picture. This in turn also gives the person who took the picture power over those who later analyze the photos, letting them decide the meaning of the photo individually, despite the intended or true meaning.

    Read More

More about Photojournalism: What is it?

Open Document