Photojournalism

Ethics In Photojournalism

According to Carolynne Burkholder, from the website Journalism Ethics for the Global Citizen, in her article of Journalism Ethics, today, the photographers role has moved from one of simply taking images to record events, to capture a moment in time, "a reality". Today, she believes that "with photographic advancements, claims that photographs simply "mirror" events is no longer plausible, as we live in an age were images may be altered"
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This in turn raises the question of ethics in photojournalism, and guidelines which she sets down in the article, such as the manipulation of photographs, the intrusion into people's privacy,
and the use of graphical or shocking imagery for effect.

She further goes on to quote the following:
"from the Canadian Association of Journalists Ethics Guidelines:

• Photojournalist are responsible for the integrity of their images. We will not alter images so that they mis lead the public.
• We will explain in the photo caption if a photograph has been staged.
• We will label altered images as photo illustrations.

She further adds codes of Ethics from the National Association of Press Photographers amongst others, which all serves as good grounding to any would be journalists out there.

Below is a link to her article in the online journal.

http://www.journalismethics.ca/online_journalism_ethics/photojournalism.htm