As humans we are taught to trust our eyes; we are told that seeing is believing. These are good rules in principle, but, of course not everything we see is true, and not everything our eyes tell us is based in reality. We are subjective beings by nature; we interpret what our senses tell us. We believe what we understand to be real based on all our preconceived knowledge and beliefs about the world around us. However, photography is interpretation. It may be as close to objective as the photographer can manage, but will never be objective. It may be as manipulative as advertising, or a gentle reminder that the world is full of unexplained phenomena.
With that, we can asked 'what is photojournalism?' On the most basic level, photojournalism is a story with photographs. A photojournalist isn’t someone who just goes to an event and snaps a few photos from it, they exist to "give insight and enhance the public good by providing information that people can use to make decisions about public life." (Rustard, 2006, p. 3)
Photojournalism pictures attempt to capture the viewers’ attention and emotion to entice them to continue listening to or reading about the story.
Visual image can give big impact to the public as it gives a thousand meanings . Image is there to speaks for the unheard voices and it is there to seek for social justice. However, to be a photojournalist is not an easy task. They are upholding a level of public trust that cannot be violated. The story they created must follow rules and ethics of photojournalism. Thus, visual journalist must try to tell the story in the most fair, balanced and unbiased way possible:
Visual journalists operate as trustees of the public. Our primary role is to report visually on the significant events and varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. As visual journalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images - The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Codes of Ethics in Photojournalism
With that, we can asked 'what is photojournalism?' On the most basic level, photojournalism is a story with photographs. A photojournalist isn’t someone who just goes to an event and snaps a few photos from it, they exist to "give insight and enhance the public good by providing information that people can use to make decisions about public life." (Rustard, 2006, p. 3)
Photojournalism pictures attempt to capture the viewers’ attention and emotion to entice them to continue listening to or reading about the story.Visual image can give big impact to the public as it gives a thousand meanings . Image is there to speaks for the unheard voices and it is there to seek for social justice. However, to be a photojournalist is not an easy task. They are upholding a level of public trust that cannot be violated. The story they created must follow rules and ethics of photojournalism. Thus, visual journalist must try to tell the story in the most fair, balanced and unbiased way possible:
Visual journalists operate as trustees of the public. Our primary role is to report visually on the significant events and varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. As visual journalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images - The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Codes of Ethics in Photojournalism
However, with the advent of photo manipulation through editing software, credibility of photojournalism has now are concern to many. The New York Time's photography critic, Andy Grundberg for example, predicted a weak prospect of photojournalism: "In the future, readers of newspapers and magazines will probably view news pictures more as illustrations than as reportage, since they can no longer distinguish between a genuine image and one that has manipulated" (The New York Times, August 12, 1990, sec. 2, p. 1)
Some examples of photojournalism manipulation
Some examples of photojournalism manipulation
This photograph by Adnan Hajj, a Lebanese photographer, showed thick black smoke rising above buildings in the Lebanese capital after an Israeli air raid. The Reuters news agency initially published this photograph on their web site and then withdrew it when it became evident that the original had been manipulated to show more and darker smoke. A second photograph by Hajj was also determined to have been doctored.
Egypt's state-run newspaper, Al-Ahram, published this altered photo of Egyptian President Mubarak walking with Israeli, US, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders. The photo showed the world leaders at the Middle East peace talks in September 2010. In the original photo President Mubarak is walking behind the other leaders, while in the altered photo he is shown leading the group.
This cover of The Economist shows a solitary President Obama on the Louisiana beach inspecting the oil spill. The original photo, shot by Reuters photographer Larry Downing shows Coast Guard Admiral Thad W. Allen and Charlotte Randolph, a local parish president, standing alongside the President.
In conclusion, photojournalism is a profession that, as we have seen, adhere journalistic integrity and ethics. Although manipulation can be ethical and rightly used at some extent, the criteria that allows manipulation of image must be regulated and control, especially, with the advent of technology that had led manipulation easier and more pervasive.
References
Grundburg, A. (1990): Ask It No Questions: The Camera Can Lie. The New York Times (Article Archive), 12 August, 1990, Sec. 2, p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/12/arts/photography-view-ask-it-no-questions-the-camera-can-lie.html?scp=1&sq=Ask%20It%20No%20Questions:%20The%20Camera%20Can%20Lie&st=cse
Karen, R. (2006). Photojournalism and the Internet: Competition, Collaboration and Convergence. Sune Aaagard, European News Media in Transition, 2006, pp. 1-13. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from http://www.nosvel.com/writing/photojournalism.pdf
National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Codes of Ethics in Photojournalism. Retrieved November 4, 2010 from http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.html
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