VISUAL ETHICS

VIS361 VISUAL NEWS REPORTING

Gina Gayle – Guest Lecturer
Ph.D. Student
Mass Communication
ggayle@syr.edu
Values ~ Morals ~ Ethics

 Value = Worth = Subjective

 Morals = Knowing the difference between right and wrong

 Ethics = Ethics are morals in action = What you actually do/How you actually carry
out your Morals and Values
Different  Personal =
Family/religion/community/culture

Strokes for
Different
Folks
Different  Personal =
Family/religion/community/culture

Strokes for
Different  Professional = Code of Conduct for an
entire profession

Folks  Physicians has “Do No Harm”

 NPPA Code of Ethics
 Any Others?
Different  Personal =
Family/religion/community/culture

Strokes for
Different  Professional = Code of Conduct for an
entire profession

Folks  Physicians has “Do No Harm”

 NPPA Code of Ethics
 Any Others?

 Organizational????
 ”Images Form Our Understanding of the
World”
■ - Smiley Poole, Newseum 2018
■ http://www.newseum.org/2016/11/08/newseum-pulitzer-prizes-at-100-event-
welcomes-pulitzer-prize-winning-photographers/
TO USE OR NOT TO
USE?
OR
DO YOU EVEN PRESS
THE
SHUTTER/RECORD
BUTTON?
Kevin Carter - Starving
Child & Bang Bang Club
TO USE OR NOT TO
USE?
OR
DO YOU EVEN
PRESS THE
SHUTTER/RECORD
BUTTON?
Nick Ut – Napalm Girl
To Use or Not to Use?
Or
Do You Even Press The Shutter/Record
Button?

Houston Jumper

SF Train Crash
TO USE OR NOT TO USE?
OR
DO YOU EVEN PRESS THE
SHUTTER/RECORD
BUTTON?
Falling Man – Richard Drew
TO USE OR NOT TO
USE?
OR
DO YOU EVEN
PRESS THE
SHUTTER/RECORD
BUTTON?
Eddie Adams
(photography) ”is the
most powerful weapon of
our time”
TO USE OR NOT TO USE?
OR
DO YOU EVEN PRESS THE
SHUTTER/RECORD BUTTON?

Emmitt Till’s Murder

and Open Casket
Funeral - 1955
Monetta Sleet for Jet
Magazine
DROWNED SYRIAN REFUGEE BABY ON THE BEACH

GROUP EXERCISE: WHICH ONE DO YOU RUN?

 Break into pairs and decide which photograph to use:
 Tell us what type of news outlet
 Personal/Professional/Organizational
Death,
Mourning
&
Destruction

Far left: Katrina

Aftermath
Top: Katrina Far Right: Houston
Aftermath Storm Aftermath
Breaking
News

Crime Scenes
Public Display of
Emotions
 By law you have the right BUT What is the
necessity?
 INTENT

Middle Photo –
Aline Marie prays outside St. Rose of Lima church in
Newtown, Conn., on the day of the school shooting.
She says being photographed made her feel "like a
zoo animal.” The photographer says he tried hard to
respect her privacy and grief
ALTERATION AND MANIPULATION
how much is too much?
 Manipulation has been around since the beginning of
photography-done in the darkroom only it took longer.
ALTERATION AND
MANIPULATION
how much is too
much?
 Manipulation has been around
since the beginning of photography-
done in the darkroom only it took
longer.
RECENT
MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE
THEY THINKING?
BRIAN WALSKI – FORMER LA TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER
 RECENT
MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE THEY
THINKING?
Too Much Toning and Adjustments
 RECENT
MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE THEY
THINKING?
Too Much Toning and Adjustments
RECENT MANIPULATIONS
what were they thinking?
■ Too Much Toning
RECENT MANIPULATIONS
what were they thinking?
■ Erasing Backgrounds
RECENT
MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE
THEY THINKING?
Adding
People/Objects
 RECENT MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
Allan Detrich – Former Toledo Blade Photographer
 RECENT MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
RECENT MANIPULATIONS
what were they thinking?
 RECENT
MANIPULATIONS
WHAT WERE
THEY THINKING?
Bryan Patrick fired
from Sacramento Bee
Photo Illustrations:

Can be used if identified

as such in the cutline or
the caption
– GIOVANNI TROILO, COURTESY
LUZPHOTO AGENCY
““MY COUSIN ACCEPTED TO BE
PORTRAYED WHILE FORNICATING WITH
A GIRL IN HIS
FRIEND’S CAR. FOR THEM IT WAS NOT
STRANGE. THERE ARE PARKINGS
POPULAR FOR
THE COUPLES EXCHANGING SEX WITH
OTHERS, ALSO SINGLE MEN AND
WOMEN
CAN WATCH ANONYMOUSLY THE ACTS
THROUGH THE FOGGY WINDOWS OF
THE
CARS. 'SHAME HAS DIED,' ONE SAYS IN
CHARLEROI." AN IMAGE FROM
GIOVANNI
TROILO'S LA VILLE NOIRE, WHICH WON
FIRST PRIZE AT WORLD PRESS PHOTO
BUT
WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DISQUALIFIED.”
 PHOTO
ILLUSTRATION

ED KEATING-
FORMER NY TIMES
PHOTOGRAPHER
 SETTING UP OF PICTURES

• LENS CHOICE CHANGES THINGS

• REALISM
• CONTROL
• TELL THE TRUTH
• DO NOT TELL SUBJECTS WHAT TO
DO
CAPTIONS
DIVERSITY/ STEREOTYPES/TOKENISM

 Class Exercise with labels

 How would you cover or photograph “others”?

 LEGALITY OF IT ALL

■ Legality
– Law Slammer – what do you remember?
– So much has changed since 9-11
– Check with your local/community/state federal guidelines
■ Public vs Private
■ Malls
■ Schools
■ Hospitals
■ Government
■ Surrendering your camera or card?