Journalists influence the news - Assignment Example

“The production, presentation, and consumption of visual messages in all manner of media can be justifiably sliced in separate technological, historical, cultural and critical perspectives. The requirements for theory building at each stage are different” (Elliott & Lester, 2002). And while it is recognized that “Photography is the only ‘language’ understood in all parts of the world, and bridging all nations and cultures” (Helmut Gernsheim cited in Elliott & Lester, 2002), it is also acknowledged that “photographs supply information without having a language of their own.

Photographs quote rather than translate from reality” (John Berger cited in Elliott & Lester, 2002). The difficulty arises from the variety of social, political and cultural approaches that can be taken in the interpretation of an image. Added to this is the greater ability of photographers and photojournalists to manipulate images in many different ways as a means of achieving the image sought. In determining the ethics involved in the decisions made by photojournalists and their editors regarding whether or not to print a particular image, then, it is necessary to take into consideration the “intent of the image creator and the not-so-blank canvas of the image consumer” (Elliott & Lester, 2002) as these various approaches come into play.

The question of ethics is often confused with other photographic considerations, such as aesthetics or etiquette. “A question that is truly ethical deserves a response that addresses the human cost” (Elliott & Lester, 2002). The use of a particular image that is likely to cause a great deal of pain, for example, must be justified not on the concept of its beauty or interest level – an aesthetic concern – but rather on whether or not the display of this image is necessary to present