The Ethics of Photojournalism

 

    I think that there can be many controversies related to ethics and photojournalism. The code of ethics. Photojournalists are often confronted with a difficult decision that can raise ethical concerns, some of the concerns can include the following: 

    - Invasion of privacy

    - Manipulation of images

    - Selective reporting

    - Informed consent

    - Sensitivity to culture

    - Safety of subjects and photographers

    - Sensationalism

    - Consent and minors

    - Secondary Use of images 

    - Conflict of interest

    Photojournalism ethics are designed to help navigate these complex issues for the truth, accuracy, and fairness and ensure that the dignity and rights of individuals being documented are respected. however, these ethical decisions are often challenging and subject to interpretation, making them a subject of ongoing debate in photojournalism. One of the examples that the code of ethics is challenged is the article from Yunghi Kim article on PhotoShelter. The statement by Younghi Kim provided a compelling perspective on the ethics of showing protestors' faces in photojournalism. Young Kim emphasizes that the fundamental role of a photojournalist is to report and inform the public. The act of deliberately shielding a person's identity by not showing their face, especially in public space, may go against the ethics of photojournalism, as it withholds information from the audience. Young Kim highlights that people in public spaces have no expectation of privacy, and it is not the responsibility of photojournalists to negotiate or agree to shield identities in such spaces. The expectations of privacy should be respected in sensitive, non-news, or non-public situations, but not in a public space. Personally, I don't agree with what Young Kim said but I think she also brings up a good point where it makes it harder to report on something that you are limited to taking a picture of certain things while having to report on the event. I also think that it is important to ask for consent from the people that you have taken pictures of to post on social media or in the newspaper.

Photo by : Image Guardian

Image source : Link 

    I think that the code of ethics is necessary to have but some of the rules make it hard for the photojournalist to get a good picture to express what happened in the event. The rules that I completely agree with are Manipulation of images, Selective reporting, and Consent and minors. While these rules can be seen as on the gray zone where it can be right or wrong depending on how it is portrayed to you, some of these rules are: Invasion of privacy and Informed consent. I understand that photojournalists need pictures of the event some can be of a person and it can make it hard for the photojournalist to report an event that is mainly people to not use people's faces in them. I think there should be a middle ground where the photojournalists can get their pictures and the people whose photos were taken are happy. One of the solutions that I can think of is letting the photojournalists take the pictures at the moment and then ask the person that the picture was taken of for consent to post it. in that way, the photos are not staged and misinformed. while some people agree to let their photo be used and some don't but at least the consent is being asked before the picture is being posted.

Photo by : Alamy

Image source : Link

    The photojournalist ethics code that goes with my personal ethics is respect, I think it is important to respect the photojournalist while they are working on getting a media cover on an event. This respect extends to their dignity, privacy, and their right to have their story told accurately and without exploitation. Additionally, we should also respect the working environment of fellow photojournalists, acknowledging the importance of their role in capturing and conveying the truth also think it is important to respect the person you are taking a picture of, making sure that they consent to the picture .by upholding this value of respect, we can strike a balance between our professional responsibilities and our personal ethical compass, creating a space where the truth can be revealed while maintaining the dignity and rights of all those involved.