Ethical Dilemmas in Journalism

With reference to the controversial photograph, the key question raised is whether the public can trust the

photographs that they see every day. Herein lays the ethical dilemmas faced by both the New York Daily

News (NYDN) editors and photographer, John Tlumacki, as they are deeply involved in the publication

process.

As part of a professional media body, NYDN is expected to adhere to the standard codes of ethics and

practices proposed by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA, n.d.) and Corporation for

Public Broadcasting (CPB, n.d.; Kaplan, n.d.; Stavitsky & Dvorkin, n.d.). In essence, the ideals of

publishing news content and photographs as the unvarnished truth should be the common code of practice

for journalists and editors alike.

Despite these guidelines, there are many sensationalist publications (such as the National Enquirer) that

do not conform to these standards in the pursuit of readership and advertorial profits. The need to balance

commercial success with conformity to conformity to journalistic standards provides a challenge to the

ethical ideals that the NYDN editor may have.

While the guidelines propose ethical reporting through the usage of truthful photographs and news

content, the fact that both the editor and photographer are opinionated creatures means the creation of

news content which may be angled along certain slants. As the NYDN photograph was manipulated out of

sensitivity towards the victims and their families (Pompeo, 2013), it clearly states the aesthetical opinions

of the editor towards journalism.

When traversing the issue of aesthetics, it can be argued that the photographer is a subjective creature that

creates his personal perspective in a matter of expression. The single frame of a photograph is the

representation of the photographer’s perspective at that point in time. Viewing the numerous Boston

bombing photographs (boston.com, 2013), Tlumacki presents a variety of perspectives of the situation –

Comment [L1]: In the case of the photo in the TMA, the face of the victim was not shown. Therefore, how much was sensitivity towards the victim a factor, Vincent?

based on locations, timing, subject foci, and those of graphical nature. While each photograph is a witness

of truth of that particular moment, it is important to acknowledge the fact that photography is subjective

in nature through the photographer’s personal interpretation and selection of the moment.

With that in mind, it can be argued that the idealistic nature of factual reporting is defeated by the

subjective nature of the photographs themselves. While this argument may be excessive, it clearly draws

attention to the need for a balanced attitude towards truthfulness of journalism. Thus with Tlumacki’s

photograph, readers should be allowed to form opinions of their own based on the original photograph

(Stroud & Reese, n.d.), and editors not seek to alter or guide reader opinions through image manipulation.

Contextual Solutions as the Editor

With the furore caused with regards to the photo manipulation, NYDN and its editors can now codify a set

of rules and expectations for its staff and photographers as well as explore alternatives to its current “case

study”.

The creation of NYDN’s rules and standards can be derived from NPPA’s proposed code of ethics (NPPA,

n.d.) and additional guidelines to allow editorial control over news content. These additional guidelines

should be explored and negotiated by NYDN photographers, editorial and management staff. The need for

all NYDN stakeholders to be involved is to allow for the understanding and perspectives of their

individual needs and concerns with respect to the publication of news content while balancing the need to

present truthfulness in their news content.

One proposed guideline would be to improve the selection process of the published photograph. From

Tlumacki’s range of photographs covering the Boston bombing, the editors are presented a good selection

of choices that can create maximum news impact without the need for image manipulation – an

alternative photograph can be proposed to that effect.

Comment [L2]: Does allowing photos used in journalism to be altered, does it make the photo more or less subjective?

Comment [L3]: However, if no other alternatives were available in the time crunch, what would you do?

Original Photograph Alternative Photograph1

The alternative photograph is proposed due to its symbolic reference to the violence, injuries and death in

Boston. The inclusion of the American flag-symbol highlights the proximity of the bombing for the

American readership. In terms of graphical nature, the alternative photograph implies the devastation to

good effect while retaining a sense of editorial taste showing sensitivity towards the victims and their

families, as well as the general public who may be adverse towards violent and graphic images.

However, if the management of NYDN is oriented towards readership and commercial success, the

original unedited photograph should still be seriously considered as it generates a more visceral

perspective of the Boston carnage that would pique the interest of potential readers.

Original Photograph Edited Photograph2

Under the proposed guideline of editorial content, the editors may choose to utilise the same photograph

but inform the readership that it has been edited for sensitivity issues. The usage of a pixelated block will

serve as a discretionary measure without the need to manipulate the image beyond its original truth of

perspective.

1 See Appendix for larger size and photo credit 2 See Appendix for larger size and photo credit

Comment [L4]: Good research.

Comment [L5]: Perhaps.

Comment [L6]: This may be a workable compromise.

While it is important to maintain a code of ethics and standards in terms of truthful journalism, there is a

need to balance the expectations of the photographer, editor, management and the general public.

Additionally, NYDN should publicly release its customised set of codes and standards so that the general

public can be aware of, and be able to personally judge NYDN’s news content for truthfulness and

accuracy.

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References boston.com. (2013, April 15). Terror at the Boston Marathon. Retrieved from boston.com The Big

Picture: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2013/04/terror_at_the_boston_marathon.html CPB. (n.d.). About CPB. Retrieved from cpb: http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/ Kaplan, J. (n.d.). Objectivity & Balance: Today's Best Practices in American Journalism. Washington:

Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved from http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/whitepapers/cpb_BestPractices_Kaplan.pdf

Louise, G. (2013). Editorial Photographs and Patterns of Practice. Journalism Practice, 7(3), 314-328. doi:10.1080/17512786.2012.726836

NPPA. (n.d.). NPPA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from NPPA: The Voice of Visual Journalists: https://nppa.org/code_of_ethics

Pompeo, J. (2013, April 17). 'Daily News' doctored front-page photo from Boston bombing. Retrieved from Capital: http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2013/04/8529102/daily-news-doctored-front-page-photo-boston-bombing

Stavitsky, A. G., & Dvorkin, J. A. (n.d.). Best Practices in Assessing Objectivity and Balance. Washington: Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/whitepapers/cpb_bestPractices_DvorkinStavitsky.pdf

Stroud, N. J., & Reese, S. D. (n.d.). Objectivity & Balance: How Do Readers and Viewers of News and Information Reach Conclusions Regarding Objectivity and Balance? Washington: Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/whitepapers/cpb_ReadersReachConclusions_StroudReese.pdf

Appendix

Photo Credits John Tlumacki, The Boston Globe

Original Photograph

Photo Credits John Tlumacki, The Boston Globe

Alternative Photograph

Photo Credits John Tlumacki, The Boston Globe

Edited version with pixelated block

Generally a credible effort at exploring some of the key ethical dilemmas facing journalists in the era where technology increasingly allows lines to be blurred. Nice work, Vincent.