WEEK 12 – “Photojournalism: The path to become a photojournalist"

I have a friend who dreamt to be a journalist – the idea of cracking down some secret government plot, or hunting down escaped convict, or anything equivalently dangerous thrilled her. I asked her if she’s not, in any way, petrified of the death-seeking occupation as a source of living? And she said, it wasn’t all about the risk (well, part of it) – but it’s more about exposing the truth, and changing the world.

The fundamental element of photojournalism worked the same way.

Photojournalism is journalism through the camera’s eye (Zelizer, 2005, p.167). Images have been considered as a reflection of the world at large, as noted by Zelizer, how they are not seen as the result of actions taken by individual photographers, their corresponding photo editors, and the larger institutional setting that engages both – but as mirrors of the event that they depict, and not just a construction (2005, p. 170).

When this friend of mine said that she’d be willing to do whatever it takes to just to get the so-called “truth” out, how much of that risk is she willing to take? Will she bend the news, so as to fit in her perspective?

Take for example the following sets of pictures: which ones are real and which ones are not?

Tsunami Strikes Phuket, Thailand

Sandstorm in Iraq

Montana Forest Fire

Tourist Atop World Trade Center September 11

Live Worm in Patient's Eye

Home Computer of the Future as Envisioned in 1954

Rare Amphibian found in Malaysia

Wacky 'Drunk Building'

Some of the pictures look like they are being enhanced or edited – manipulated in some ways in order to make the images look as real as possible. But, you’d be surprised to find out which ones are real and which are fakes. The results of the pictures are as follow:
1) Fake
2) Real
3) Real
4) Fake
5) Real
6) Fake
7) Fake
8) Real

This is where ethics comes in: Is it right to have manipulated images just to fit in the photographer’s needs?

According to Warburton(1998), “every case in which a deception like this is allowed into print (and subsequently exposed for what it is) serves to undermine the public’s trust that the implicit conventions of photojournalism are generally being adhered to” and move on to explain how the downside of lying is not because of the result in people trusting false beliefs, but more of that it obliterate the trust that is necessary for most co-operation and communication (131).


References:

Warburton, N. (1998). Electrical photojournalism in th eage of the electronic darkroom. In Kieran, M. (ed.), Media Ethics (pp. 123-134). London: Routledge. Retrieved fom JUne 21, 2010, from UBD Ebrary Website

Zelizer, B. (2005). Jounalism through the camera's eye. In Allan, S. (ed.), Journalism: Critical issues (pp. 167-176). Berkshire: Open University Press. Retrieved June 21, 2010, from UBD Ebrary Website.

Images link: http://www.hyd-masti.com/2008/08/is-it-real-or-fake.html