About: Visual Journalism

Living with Pornography: An Essay of Exactly 1,000 Words

Paul Martin Lester
Professor of Communications, California State University, Fullerton
Author of Photojournalism An Ethical Approach and The Ethics of Photojournalism

If you type, "a picture is worth 1,000 words" in Google, you get about 10,000 hits. That's a little ironic given the history of the phrase.

Fred Barnard, an advertising executive in the 1920s for the Street Railways Advertising Company, was trying to convince advertisers in a Printer's Ink ad that pictures get a busy streetcar rider's attention and should be added to their card ads. He included a picture of a boy with a big smile.

To add credibility to his argument, a bit of ancient philosophy was added, "CHINESE PROVERB One picture is worth ten thousand words." In other words, a picture of a boy's smile is equal to many words explaining the benefits of baking powder. Over time, of course, it took 9,000 words less to describe a photograph.

Essay Continued [1]

Inside @ConcernedJournalists.org

> The Toolbox:

The National Press Photographers Association's Code of Ethics advises that press photographers should be "…accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subject" and " …maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context." But it also states that "Ideally, photojournalists should: Think proactively, as a student of psychology, sociology, politics and art to develop a unique vision and presentation." So where is the line?

In an time when new technologies offer the ability for photographers to make seamless, virtually undetectable alterations to still and moving images when is the photographer pursuing a unique vision and when are they committing acts of deception? Is photojournalism at a crossroads? Are the ethical decisions and dilemmas any different now simply because we've moved from darkrooms to digital? What decisions have you had to make as a photographer? What rules and guidelines do you or your news organization observe? What advice might you give to a photojournalist who's just starting out? The CCJ is currently working to gather tools, techniques and ideas to use to create a section about images and graphics in our online journalists toolbox and we'd like to hear from you.

You can e-mail them to us at ccj@concernedjournalists.org [2].

In May 2004 the Radio and Television News Directors' Association (RTNDA) issued its guidelines on the use of graphic imagery [3].

We'd also like to direct your attention to the Poynter Institute's website for a host of tools and ideas about photojournalism [4] and graphics [5].

> Road Trip/News From The Traveling Curriculum:

When does an image violate public sensibility?
Periodically, we'll be giving newsletter readers the chance to try their hand at a scenario modeled after those offered in our Traveling Curriculum program. While these are certainly exercises you can do on your own, we think it's always better if you can gather a few of your colleagues to give this a try over lunch or a cup of coffee. Simply read through the hypothetical case and take a few minutes to seriously consider what solution you would offer. At the end of the case study we provide you with information on the real life situation upon which our story is based.

You work for a news organization that has recently initiated a push to attract younger readers.

Read the full scenario [6]

> Speaking Of:

CCJ invited Bob Gould, incoming President of the National Press Photographers Association and Chris Lamb, author of the forthcoming book, Drawn to Extremes: The Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons, to offer us their thoughts on the roles and responsibilities of photojournalism and political cartoons.

Photojournalism: "Hey, Camera Dude, Put Me On TV!" [7]

Political Cartoons: "No Laughing Matter" [8]

> Research

Character and the Campaign: What Are The Master Narratives about the Candidates in 2004 and How Is The Public Reacting To Them?
July 12, 2004
If presidential campaigns are about character and control of message, neither candidate has had much success so far, a new PEJ study finds.
Read the report [9]

> Did You See?

"Why Long Island paper's own newsroom aired its dirty laundry" [10]
Jennifer Saba, Editor and Publisher, July 21, 2004

"The ordinary American, under stress and oversimplified" [11]
Howard Kurtz, Washington Post, July 19, 2004

"Pictures Bring Home the Reality of War" [12]
Barbara Cochran, Communicator, June 2004

> Get the Newsletter Emailed to You:
Sign up with the CCJ Mailing List [13] to have @ConcernedJournalists.org emailed to you.

> Past Newsletters [14]

> Contact Us:
ccj@concernedjournalists.org [15]

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