Week Nine Discussion Board Post

What’s the role of photojournalism?

Photojournalism is the art of taking photo journalistic photos. Journalistic photos are actually quit self-explanatory. Journals are stories, so journalistic photos must tell stories through still image. A photo that tells the audience what is happening from first sight would be considered a photo journalistic photo. Therefore photojournalism is the art of capturing a story through a lens. These photographers must stay within the boundaries of the many rules a photojournalist must follow. Photo-journalistic photos are usually taken for news articles and or magazines. These photos help the audience get an understanding of the news story at hand. All in all the role of photojournalism is to help people understand an event from an image(s).

Are there rules that photojournalists should follow? 

There are plenty of rules that a photojournalist should follow, the three rules that stand out the most to me are from the “NPPA Code of Ethics,” and are listed below.

1. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.

2. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one's own biases in the work.

3. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.

A photojournalist must be accurate when representing subjects to ensure that his or hers work is understood by the available audience. If a photojournalist does not focus on a subject that represents the news story or article, the audience may be misled or confused. If a photojournalist brings his or hers own beliefs and feelings to a shoot, biased photos can be produced. This will let the audience know the photographer has picked sides or has an opinion on the occurring event in the photo. When taking a photo as a photojournalist, the main objective is to capture the truth for your audience. Fictional photos are prohibited. Intentionally altering a photo for your liking (or others) is wrong. These techniques lead photographers far from capturing the truth. The photographer ends up making the photo, rather than taking the photo. Therefore there are rules that a photojournalist must follow, and these rules must be followed to ensure that the audience will never be confused or misled.

Is the ethics of taking journalistic photos different than the ethics of writing a news story? 

The ethics of taking journalistic photos are different but also quit the same as the ethics of writing a news story. The job of a photojournalist is to capture the truth out of a story though a camera lens. The objective of a news story writer is write down the truth that comes out of any event they are assigned to. So right off the bat a similarity is portrayed between both a photojournalist and a news story writer. They are both obligated to capture the truth from a story and or event. The only differences they hold is that photojournalist portray stories and events though a camera lens (photos), while news story writers portray stories and event through text. Photojournalists are believed to have a harder job than news story writers. While news story writers record information on events that have happened by writing them down. A photojournalist must collect all the information that the event has to offer through one or a few descriptive photos. In conclusion, the ethics of taking photo-journalistic photos are different but quit similar to the ethics of writing a news story.

What's the impact of altering press photographs? Should they be edited (at all) in postproduction?

The impact of editing press photos is great. Not great in a good way but it can greatly mislead the attentive audience. By editing a photo of any kind, you are automatically considered an artist.  A real photographer knows how to take a picture without any alteration. Altering an occurring event doesn't capture or provide the truth for the people (audience). Photographers who do this are considered liars and fakes. They fail to capture the truth, which goes against becoming a photojournalist. To conclude these photographs should not be edited at all in post production.

Work Cited 

Week nine Readings provided by professor Gordana Icevska.

N.d. Http://cdn.lightgalleries.net. Web. <http://cdn.lightgalleries.net/4bd5ebf215047/images/new_1000_famine02-2.jpg>.

N.d. Http://i.huffpost.com. Web. <http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1718592/thumbs/o-MUMBAI-PHOTOJOURNALIST-facebook.jpg>.

N.d. Http://blogs.nppa.org. Web. <http://blogs.nppa.org/visualstudent/files/2013/04/frontpage.jpg>.

N.d. Http://static.guim.co.uk. Web. <http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/1/23/1390501180837/A-digitally-altered-image-001.jpg>.

 Attached is the NPPA Code of Ethics. 

Code of Ethics 

Visual journalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work: 

1. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects. 

2. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one's own biases in the work. 

3. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.

4. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects. 5. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities. 

6. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one's own biases in the work. 

7. Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see. 

8. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events. 

9. Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects. 

10. Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation. 

11. Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage. 

12. Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists. 

Ideally, visual journalists should: 

1. Strive to ensure that the public's business is conducted in public. Defend the rights of access for all journalists. 

2. Think proactively, as a student of psychology, sociology, politics and art to develop a unique vision and presentation. Work with a voracious appetite for current events and contemporary visual media. 

3. Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommend alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities, seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view. 

4. Avoid political, civic and business involvements or other employment that compromise or give the appearance of compromising one's own journalistic independence. 

5. Strive to be unobtrusive and humble in dealing with subjects. 

6. Respect the integrity of the photographic moment. 

7. Strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code. When confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the highest standards of the profession. Visual journalists should continuously study their craft and the ethics that guide it.