Ethics in photojournalism September 22, 2007

Before taking this course, I didn’t realize how much thought about ethics goes into photojournalism. I knew news pictures should not be staged and that photographers must exercise caution when photographing sensitive subjects/events, but I didn’t understand how many other things there are to consider.

I thought the discussion of ethics in Kenneth Kobre’s book Photojournalism - The Professional’s Approach was extensive, detailed and thoughtful. While I was not surprised to read on page 303 that ethics and values in photojournalism have changed in the past several decades, I wonder why this is true. Perhaps it stems from a new understanding - post Watergate, the Vietnam War and other historical events in our nation’s history - of the serious responsibility the press has to act in the public interest.

Still, I found it surprising that so many photographers asked by Walter Wilcox about the act of ‘choreographing’ crickets to get a ‘better’ shot said they did not totally object to this (p. 302). To me, this is a clear case of manipulating a scene and conveying inaccurate information to the readers. This survey was conducted in 1961. I wonder if the results would be different today.

The discussion about Mike Meadows, who was accused of asking a firefighter to splash water from a swimming pool on his head (p. 303), also got me thinking. Meadows claimed he merely mentioned what would “make a nice shot” and the firefighter took the suggestion.

I think this is definitely a problem, but I guess I never really thought about how easy it would be to accidentally get into a situation like this. Most subjects probably do not give much consideration to journalism ethics and wouldn’t see a problem letting themselves be influenced by a photographer’s “suggestion.”

But here’s an interesting question: don’t reporters, in a way, prompt sources to say things? Even if they aren’t directing sources as to what they should say (which they obviously never should do), asking questions definitely imposes some directions on the sources. Sources may choose to answer or not answer the questions reporters ask, but  in interviews the words they speak are responses to the behavior (questions) of the reporters.

I’m not saying journalists should give up interviews - that would be crazy - but I think it’s an intriguing question to ponder.

Photojournalism September 16, 2007

As I read more about photojournalism, and after attempting to take a variety of good shots of one of my classmates in motion the other day, I see more and more why good photojournalism is such a challenge.

On page 19 in Photojournalism - The Professional’s Approach Kenneth Kobre talks about the importance of using the right lens. Personally, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of changing lenses while trying to shoot a moving person or a developing event.

I guess the key is to follow the action of the scene as it “builds to a peak and then settles down again” (Kobre, 20). This statement seems obvious, but I find it helpful to think about photojournalism in this way - to anticipate a continuous flow of action and movement, not just sporadic bursts of potential shots (which is how I view my amateur efforts at photography when I’m out with my friends or on vacation).

I also liked Kobre’s advice in a subheading on page 55 to “photograph the topic, not the talker.” In the little bit of photojournalism that I have done (while working at small papers, etc.), I always knew that the standard “speaker pictures” were boring - but I never knew what else to get! I like the idea of looking for the “topic” in the audience, or in some other visual manifestation of it - protesters outside, etc. Again, this directive may be basic to more experienced photographers, but I think it will help me “think outside the box” a little more.

The discussion on page 56 of staged events is interesting. While I agree that photographing - or writing about - run-of-the-mill, over-dramatized awards ceremonies, press meetings, etc., is often just a way of pandering to people seeking media attention, I wonder how far one could carry this logic. Lots of people do lots of things - some of them actually newsworthy - with hopes that the press will pay them some attention. We can’t ignore them all - often it’s a matter of sifting through the packaged “PR” stuff and figuring out what’s at the heart of the story - or photo.

I can really relate to the discussion on pages 91 and 92 about different methods for taking candid photos. I am not usually at ease taking pictures of people I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’d prefer for the subject to consent to being photographed, or if I’d rather stay more removed from the scene. But, I hope that photographing people will become more natural and comfortable for me. I believe that it will.

A writer learns multimedia journalism… September 10, 2007

I started in journalism for the love of learning and writing. But journalism isn’t just a craft expressed in writing and photography anymore….it hasn’t been for quite some time. In newsrooms, journalists are engaging in training sessions to learn about recording and editing audio, making slide shows for the web and shooting and editing video. It often isn’t an option to be “just a writer” or “just a photographer” or even “just a copy editor” anymore.

So I’m jumping on the bandwagon of journalists embracing the new ways and taking a class called “Journalist’s Toolkit I.” So far, we’ve learned to record, edit and upload audio (I have to say, I did quite well, though the initial editing and uploading effort was a bit time consuming. I’m certain things will go more smoothly now that I’ve done it successfully.)

We’ve also had an extensive discussion of blogs, and, as you can see, I’ve learned to make one. Next we’re working on photography, and we’ll do some more assignments in blogging and audio as well. I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying the class. Maybe it’s because we’re putting lots of thought and discussion into the process, and we’ve seen some great examples of outstanding end products. 

People use fancy words like “multimedia” and “convergence,” which do aptly describe the new direction journalism is going, but really, it’s still all about telling people’s stories and keeping the public informed. These new forms give us fresh outlets of creativity and expression. They can complement a written article or a traditional photo in ways that provide readers and viewers with more understanding and a deeper appreciation of the issues and people at hand. So, while I will always be a writer at heart, I hope to become a great multimedia journalist, too.