The Ethics Of Photo Manipulation

This essay will discuss the links between photography and censorship and how the photographer and the media uses this to distribute images of a atrocity to the masses, when is it appropriate to censor images and when is it not? Do ‘controlled’ images affect the meaning and how we view them or do they simply allow us to not get desensitized? Photojournalists play a key role in the media their role is to photograph the events that take place in front of them but is it always appropriate to keep taking that image, “a photograph passes for incontrovertible proof that a given thing happened” (Sontag, 1979, p. 5) photography provides the evidence that the event happened why should that be withheld from the viewer. There is always a reason why a photographer may self censor and this essay will explore this by looking at ‘Will Stacey 's’ Photographs Not Taken. In the digital age with everyone having a phone which is capable of taking a image citizen journalism has been on the rise since the invention of the smartphone allowing more and more people to document the possible news that could unfold in front of them, but are the images that come out of their smartphone more true to life and unfiltered due to the fact that they may not be educated in photography thus they don’t hunt the ‘perfect’ shot they simply recorded what unfolds in front of them, to look further at this the essay will look at Stuart Allans and Einar Thorsen’s ‘Citizen journalism Global perspectives’ to gain a

Manipulated photos in the media influence the eyes that see it, including children. In an article entitled “Is Photoshop Destroying America’s Body Image”, Vivian Diller Ph.D. states that The AMA ( American Medical Association) is just beginning to raise public awareness about the impact of image manipulation on childhood development. They want us all to reflect upon the way in

Gatekeepers such as publishers and the government play a role in photo manipulation. As Newton (Newton J, 2001, pg. 74) suggests that "those who tend the gates of reportage tend power". These people are the ones who decide what the public ‘needs to know', what is ‘appropriate', what is ‘news' and also what the public needs to ‘see'. Gatekeepers as such must answer questions like: "Will publishing a picture of the body of a drowning victim prevent others from drowning at the same spot, or will it only exploit a tragic situation to sell newspapers?" (Newton J, 2001)

A photograph is a powerful tool for life. A single, unchanged image of reality can be utilized for a variety of situations. For one, one photograph could decide the lifestyle in the foreseeable future of a person that committed a crime. Furthermore, one photograph could reveal the horrors of a particular event. On another note, one photograph could hold heartwarming memories forever. In addition, one photograph could stir a controversy that will have people debating whether an entity is real or not. Overall, as Susan Sontag mentions in her book Photograph, “Photographs furnish evidence.”(Sontag); in other words, whether if it is, good, bad, or misinterpreted, one photograph can be used as evidence that something in fact happened or is real.

In journalism, an ethical dilemma is a complex issue or situation that often involves an emotional and psychological conflict between moral obligations and duties, in which to obey one would transgress the other. Within the media there are many stories that can be deemed an ethical dilemma; some more so than others. One of the most recent and prominent ethical dilemmas was the worldwide coverage surrounding the shooting of two American WBDJ journalists, Alison Parker and Adam Ward. Despite the fact that the shooter filmed the ordeal clearly showing the two slain journalists being shot, news outlets had picked it up and ran with the story, which ultimately went viral in minutes. This essay will analyse and thoroughly examine the reporting

In today’s day and age, mass media has completely changed the way in which we consume news. The truthfulness of the millions of blogs and web pages makes it hard to trust what is true and what is not. Newspapers are often an overlooked form of news, which is surprising considering that it is a accurate, curated source of media. What sets newspapers apart from all the countless blogs and web pages is the set of ethics that the reporters and editors are required to follow. In State of Play Cal McCaffrey, a reporter for the Washington Globe, did not act in accordance to the code of ethics. McCaffrey knowingly broke the law whilst trespassing, clearly knew McCaffrey had a conflict of interest, and unethically recorded someone while falsely promising anonymity.

I chose for explore Nace for this paper because he is great at photo manipulation and does extensive teaching. Through Photoshop, Nace creates these unbelievable pictures, some like your childhood dreams coming true, some your worst nightmares. Additionally, Nace is a great teacher through the website YouTube. He teaches millions of followers how to use Photoshop and to acquire the skills professionals have. His videos are details, accurate and

Teju Cole, in his essay “Against Neutrality,” dissected the tones behind photography- which he believes are thought of as unbiased towards the subject. The power of words and of photos is crucial to Cole’s essay. He states that images can “make a grim situation palatable” because of the photographer’s craftiness in selection (Cole 1). To anyone who isn’t an experienced photographer these tricks can be hard to see but Cole provides further insight from the historian, John Edwin Mason. Expectantly, Mason sheds light behind the misconception on photography, how the “manipulation in photography isn’t really about Photoshop or darkroom tricks”, but the style, angle and other aspects of taking photos (Cole 1).

Quinn expresses a fundamental concern with the validity and objectivity of journalism with the coming of the digital age, and the increasing role that digital/information technology plays in media that reports or represents reality. Quinn begins his 2004 paper with the mention of the transition of non-digital/traditional photography into mainly digital photography with respect to journalism. More than just the changing of the photographic platform and format, Quinn notes the role that computer software that specializes in photographic manipulation in journalism. Early on, he contends, "Technical advancement has helped photojournalism be more effective in may ways, but has also created ethical challenges in making deception expeditious and less transparent." (Quinn, 2004, 1) The article explores this ethical quandary. Digital technology, photographic software, and digital manipulation are tightly integrated into modern photojournalism, among many other industries and fields. Quinn challenges readers to consider and explore the ethics of photographic manipulation and the implications upon perception. He presents the digital manipulation as having a positive and use; furthermore, that at this point in history and in the profession of photojournalism, it is unavoidable. Quinn clearly additionally presents the issue as loaded with negative ethical implications and

“Companies should absolutely stand up against Photoshop, especially those that once endorsed it and now see the damage it has caused,” Legleitner said. You may be left wondering: “What damage?”. The damage left from the use of photoshop is immense and it extends much farther than what may come to mind. A research study done by Heather R. Gallivan, PsyD, LP Park Nicollet Melrose Center found that “53% of 13 year-old American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This number grows to 78% by the time girls reach 17.” Her research shows that at approximately the age of 12 girls will have the most confidence in their body and then as the years progress of their youth that confidence will plummet. Another statistic that Gallivan shared was that in 2010 the Girl Scouts Organization did a survey with over one-thousand girls ages 13-17, the results noted that: “ 9 out of 10 girls felt pressure by fashion and media industries to be skinny.” It further explained that 60% of girls compare themselves to the models and use the images put out by magazines as an ideal body to strive for. Women and girls that feel this unethical influence by the fashion industry often times go through impacts including: depression, eating disorders, anxiety or even as terrible as suicidality. Knowing that women face emotional and physical impacts based off the unrealistic edited images put out by their brand should be disheartening to the companies at fault.

The first idea shared between The September Issue and Killing Us Softly deals with the ethics of photoshopping. In The September Issue they do a photoshoot including one of the cameramen who is helping

The ethics of journalism is crowded with a handful of fine lines, all of which make the process of deciding what violates these guidelines extremely challenging. News reports are enhanced with compelling photographs to evoke emotion and add a new dimension. The incorporation of certain images, however, requires a certain level of calculation to determine whether they infringe upon media ethics. In recent years, terrorist organizations have challenged journalists by employing a new propaganda tactic of recording executions. When the video of U.S. journalist James Foley’s execution surfaced in 2014, some media outlets published the video and others broadcasted frames. Since the execution video was made for the media, news organizations broadcasting

Art critic Robert Hughes once said, “People inscribe their histories, beliefs, attitudes, desires and dreams in the images they make.” When discussing the mediums of photography and cinema, this belief of Hughes is not very hard to process and understand. Images, whether they be still or moving, can transform their audiences to places they have either never been before or which they long to return to. Images have been transporting audiences for centuries thanks to both the mediums of photography and cinema and together they gone through many changes and developments. When careful consideration is given to these two mediums, it is acceptable to say that they will forever be intertwined, and that they have been interrelated forms of

What is a photograph? The simplicity of taking a photograph leads many to ponder its artistic value. Yet, it is undeniable that there are some photos that cause an emotional reaction deeper than simply observing a recorded point in time. Surely, there are photographs that cause more reaction than some modern art pieces. There seems to be two types of photographs. The first classification is the ‘time capture’ photo – an image with the sole purpose of recording a particular event or point in time. The second nature of a photo carries a ‘deeper meaning,’ which has the ability to change the observer’s mood and cause a reaction. But what distinguishes these two varieties? There are a

However as the authors stressed, probably more significant than the change in how images are produced, distributed and used, are the ideas to which the changes are giving rise and how digital imaging is challenging and changing traditional ways of seeing and thinking. It seems that our traditional belief that ‘the camera never lies’ has been brought into question. It also appears important to consider who