Ethics and Assignments in Photojournalism

The first chapter of Kenneth Kobré’s book Photojournalism: The Professionals’ Approach covers the variety of unique ways a photojournalist can discover and pick up an assignment, as well as some other minute, important details.

  1. Scanner radio signals and all-news broadcasts can often be a photographer’s best friend. By keeping one’s eyes and ears open, photojournalists can pick up on natural disasters and accidents such as fires or multi-car pileups and arrive at the scene before most others. (pgs. 4-6)
  2. What’s best for a reporter isn’t always what’s best for a photojournalist. Though interviews with busy individuals often work best when they’re alone in their office, a portrait of the individual is the least captivating type of image. A good photo almost always captures the subject while they’re in action. (pgs. 7, 10)
  3. Variety is the spice of life, and that goes for good pictures as well! Anyone can point and shoot at something, but that doesn’t necessarily make them a photographer. High and low angles give different perspectives, while close-ups, medium and wide shots all serve their own purposes to tell a story. (pgs.  14-18)
  4. Candid shots can often provide some of the best photos, but they aren’t so easy to catch. Having the camera’s functions on the proper settings before beginning to shoot can go a long way. Blending in to the surroundings is a great way to capture candids, but other methods include making introductions, waiting from afar, or even a quick “click-and-run.” (pgs. 21-24)

Chapter 15 discusses ethics, primarily as it comes to photographs that showcase grief and death. The chapter includes notes on how to decide what-to-run and what-not-to-run, as well as which photos are morally and ethically responsible to display.

  1. One of the most basic ethics photography questions concerns placement or removal of an object from the scene before snapping a photo. The standards regarding setting up or re-creating scenes have changed over time. What was once perfectly acceptable is now frowned upon and grounds for being fired. (pgs. 356-361)
  2. A divisive issue amongst photojournalists is the use of pictures which center on tragedy and grief. While some might argue the newsworthiness of a tragic photo by the Utilitarian principle of the greatest good for the greatest number of people, photojournalists risk offending those close to the victim who are already overcome with grief. (pgs. 365-367)
  3. Photographs that contain frightening images need to be weighed on impact before going to air. Oftentimes, media will hesitate to air a disturbing photograph unless it will have a valuable and powerful effect. (pgs. 372-373)
  4. Among the largest problems in photography is digital editing to dim, darken or completely remove something from the frame. Though altering or manipulating pictures might produce the perfect photograph, and wouldn’t necessarily harm anyone in the making, it’s an unethical shortcut that has seen multiple respected photojournalists lose their jobs over the years. (pgs. 382-388)

 

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