An explainer
As a society living 24/7 in a modern media landscape, we are consuming more images and information than we know what to do with. In processing an overload of graphic content everyday, are sensitive images losing their impact? What is the level of journalistic accountability for traumatic images?
The Vietnam war was a catalyst in global media for revealing the reality of blood, guts, death and devastation that was happening. This was the first time that the world had experienced an outpour of traumatic images in real time, and they were very effective in swaying public opinion towards getting the US out of Vietnam.
News outlets serve so that reporters and the community alike can share concerns, compassion and coping skills in wake of tragedy. However, it is important to note that the coverage that brings communities together, can also have devastating effects if the material is damaging. Today, there is no doubting our shock impact has lessened due to the mass amount of violent and adverse content we digest daily: gory atrocities have become normal front-page traffic.
Four significant cases that have been challenged on grounds of ethics are:
- ‘The Falling Man’ by Richard Drew – taken as bodies were falling from the twin towers on 9/11.
- ‘The Vulture and the Little Girl’ by Kevin Carter – starving Sudanese child with a vulture in the background.
- ‘Connecticut State Police lead a line of children from the Sandy Hook’ by Shannon Hicks
- ‘Alan Kurdi’ by Nilüfer Demir – 3 year old Syrian refugee washes up on Turkey beach.
What issues do journos need to be aware of when taking pics or video to accompany a story?
When using sensitive images, journalists must create and maintain their own ideals in relation to ethical practice, as well as adhere to the ethical guidelines as set by the company or state. Reporters need to understand the implications that the images or footage published may have on victims, family and the public. Thus, journalists need to publish content that is educationally appropriate, informative, audience-specific and is censored in circumstances of graphic trauma. This was apparent in the live shooters footage from the Christchurch massacre, when it was crucial to blur the victims deaths. “Photographs can cause great harm if they are callously intrusive or are manipulated.” (NPPA)
The problem with media sensationalism is that often journalists can tell stories that unintentionally glorify the act of harm. This has been seen in recent years with mass shootings, when in news reports, the death toll of the shooting would be advertised almost as an illuminated scoreboard, comparing the ‘kill-count’ of the tragedy, to another shooting. Furthermore, reporting detailed back stories, showing the face and overusing the name of the shooter has been strongly discouraged by the public as it is believed that this leads to a shooters dangerous desire for fame and recognition for the act. Stoneman Douglas High School Shooter, Nikolas Cruz, said in a video confession, “When you see me on the news, you’ll all know who I am,” and “With the power of my AR, you will all know who I am”. The national broadcasting of these videos only highlights the problem.
Journalists can’t deceive the public. When selecting from a photo series, the photojournalist needs to be unbiased in the aesthetic ‘look’ of the perpetrator e.g in the Courtney Herron murder, the best images were chosen to portray the murderer as an attractive young man rather than a killer.
Journalists need to recognise that there are two sides of the debate between the victims and the violence portrayed. Photographs should not be altered, manipulated, directed and events should not be influenced. Journalists need to be neutral in their political and civic leanings when reporting with visuals as this can effect the integrity of the story.
“So far as we feel sympathy, we feel we are not accomplices to what caused the suffering.” – Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others
‘One-uping’ a media competitors coverage to make your story more gory, darker and devastating for more clicks is not ethical. Is sympathy enough to keep sensitive?
In ‘Paul Lester, Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach’, Lester spells out six different ethical philosophies in order to sort out the ethical dilemmas in the field. Lester explains that The Golden Rule is a philosophy that teaches people to “love your neighbour as yourself” – in other words, journalists should treat the subjects in their photographs, the way they would want to be treated. This philosophy is one that relies on the photographers or editors own morals.
The Veil of Ignorance philosophy ensures that everyone is equal. There are no advantages for any one class of people – as if we are seeing everyone through a veil, without noticing age, race or sex. In practical terms, a photographer tries to imagine what it would be like to be the subject of the photographs. “By transferring roles, an individual is forced to consider values and loyalties from perspectives other than his own as a photojournalist.”
Implications for the victim, the family, the public
The graphic use of imagery can cause harm to family and friends of the victim. Journalists need to be flexible in their ability to balance the comprehensive telling of a story, with their obligation to do no harm and show humanity to the victims and family. The NPPA states that visual journalists must “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.” Public interest needs to be balanced with the potential for harm on the family.
The speculation around who the ‘Falling man’ was led to great distress for the family in question, whose cultural beliefs treated suicide as damnation. Many readers of the Times were ‘disturbed, angry and upset’ at the publication. While the photo was used as some form of identifying the falling person, many families and members of the public saw the photograph as insensitive and exploitative to the horrific nature of the death.
Are these issues embedded in ethics or law?
There are numerous codes of ethics relating to photojournalism. Ethic codes vary in different countries, states and territories – yet some developing countries do not have ethical codes for photojournalism at all. The National Press Photographers Association is a U.S professional body that promotes a strict code of ethics, whilst the Photographer’s Code of Ethics (1993) outlines the responsibilities of the photojournalist.
Other guidelines include:
- Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
- Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
- Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups.
Are we becoming desensitised to issues because we have more access to graphic content that is appearing in media outlets? Yes.
As long mainstream media operates as an attention economy and there is a distinct incentive to make money from it – journalists will continue to implement graphic and violent imagery in their visual storytelling. We will, and are becoming numb to devastating headlines and statistics.
Censorship should be taken more seriously – especially with young viewers and when material is easily accessible. Unless there is redeeming value for some sort of educational context, journalists should tone down the use of traumatic images to ensure society can stay sensitive to the issues. Instead of publishing potentially harmful imagery, the ability to tell a significant story should belong in the power of the words.
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