Shooting the
Truth: Photojournalism
What is the role of photojournalism?
What
separates photojournalism from other forms of photography is that it
used for the reporting of news through means of photography. These
photographs can be found in the media printings; newspapers,
magazines, internet reporting and on television. It also plays a role
in recording historical information. The earliest forms of
photojournalism us during the Crimean War in the mid-19th century.
Photographs were taken of soldiers in the field in action. Since
then. the technology of the camera had improved rapidly from a box
camera to portable cameras. This was a major benefit for newspapers
that wanted to capture developing stories as it was happening in the
moment. It allowed for newspapers to get the story faster than
others. Photojournalism gives a visual image of issues that are
current and gives an emotional connection with the public with the
image alone or with an article.
Photographers
that gained attention during the 1930s to 1950s were Robert Capa and
Alfred Eisenstaedt.
Robert
Capa
Alfred
Eisenstaedt
Robert
Capa is most famous for a photo he took during the war of a GI
landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Alfred
Eisenstaedt is a German-born American photographer that was highly
recognized for his photograph of the V-J Day celebration.
Are there rules that
photojournalists should follow? Why? Why not?
There
are rules that photojournalists should follow. Photojournalists
follow a code which guides them through their work. The set of
guidelines that make up this ethical code can vary, depending on what
region, country, or even what company a journalist works for. These
codes are put in place in order to maintain the integrity of the
photograph, as well as to maintain the trust of the viewers. There
are rules that tend to reoccur in different journalists ethical
codes, which include:
-The
photograph must be accurate and it must give a fair representation of
the context of event to the public.
-Photographs
should not be staged; if they are there must be clear indication
given in order to notify the viewer, therefore preventing the viewer
from being misled by the photograph.
-Any
photo-manipulation done to the photograph must not degrade the
integrity of the photo, or the context in which the photo was taken
(the degree of manipulation for photographs can vary for different
codes; some allow color correction for example while others do not).
Though
photojournalism gives off a type of serious form of photography
because it must follow the guidelines of professional news it slowly
began to develop an artist look. By the 1970s the photos looked like
an art and still expressing the message it had to. One British
photojournalist that was most recognized for his unique artist photos
is Don McCullin.
Don
McCullin
He
captured images of the lower class society; the unemployed and the
impoverished.
Is the ethics of taking journalistic
photographs different than the ethics of writing a news story?
The
ethics of taking journalistic photos is different than the ethics of
writing a news story because they both need to address accurate,
detailed, serious and current information for the public. Since the
form of the media is different, there are different ways to display
information and present events to the reader. This means that there
may be different specifics in the code that a writer follows versus
the code which is followed by a photojournalist.
For
example, a photojournalist may follow a code that says not to stage a
photograph. Doing this can mislead the viewer, because it is a
fabrication of an event, and not an actual image of that event taking
place.
Did
this happen in reality? Or is it a staged photograph? Viewers can
make assumptions and be misled if it isn't clearly indicated.
For
a writer, they won't follow that code necessarily because they are
not taking pictures, they are recording an event with words.
However, they will follow a code that states not to fabricate
information to enhance a story. Doing this also misleads the viewer,
because, like a staged photograph, it is not an accurate record of
the actual event.
The
form of media used is irrelevant, as long as you are capable of getting
the message across in a truthful manner. Though the two are separate
forms, they both still carry the same responsibilities of presenting
facts, and connecting the public to the accurate occurrence of
events.
What
a photo does for a viewer public that differs from a written article is that it gives more of a
connection with a visual and allows the reader to think more of what
the photograph is trying to tell.
Let us know of your thoughts in week 9's discussion board.
Presentation by:
Nicole T. Defreitas, Justin Warsita, Andrew Wong, Libo Su,Cindy Vasques
Sources:
A Brief History:http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm
*(BlackBoard Course notes for Module 9 were also referred to for research of this presentation)
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