Ethics and photojournalism
Written by David WhiteStuart ‘The Man’ Freedman writing on EPUK’s Curve about Ethics and Photojournalism. His is not a new post, but it is of fundamental importance to you if you are a press, editorial or documentary photographer:
Then and only then we will be judged not just on our photography but our humanity and approach.
Discussion (3 Comments)
Truer words never spoken.
Good link, thank you, and a thought-provoking read. This caught my eye at the end:
“The point seems to me to be that professional photographers have to set themselves apart from amateur citizen journalists. It may be that in the absence of a professional journalist, the amateur’s images may run first. But whose images will the public trust? The veracity of what we as professionals produce should be the defining factor that sets us apart from the herd.”
I’m perhaps a tad more optimistic than most and have viewed some of the recent comments about iPhones making pj’s redundant with a degree of scepticism. There’s a part of me that sees the proliferation of imaging devices in the hands of citizen journalists as an opportunity for the observant and experienced (photo)journalist.
Its a strategy thats not without risk, but I suspect the rewards might make it worth it. Satisfied that an event is being recorded in HD from at least a dozen angles by citizens with iPhones, the astute photographer should turn their backs on the action that has so captivated the crowd. Instead, concentrating on the effect of the incident as it’s revealed on the faces of the onlookers: the shock, horror, joy or amazement at what’s unfolding.
Those unrestrained responses to an event often have the power to more memorably define a moment than an image of the actual occurrence. And there’s an honesty and truthfulness in such images that its very hard to argue with. I suspect that’s where some of “the veracity” Freedman implores us to seek may lie. Hard thing to do and I can’t see the average citizen journalist deliberately turning their back on an ‘event’.
I guess your choice is to go with either the pebble, or the ripple.
Such an important statement. Its interesting as Donna Ferrato donnaferrato.com/ said something similar to my students at ICP in Getting Close workshop. God only knows how we need to get back to the SOUL and HUMANISM of photography. Not long ago Al Pacino was addressing some of the graduates from the Actor’s Studio, he said that many of the film schools are producing better and better actors, technicians and film directors but was is lacking are great stories and storytellers.
Thank you,
JR