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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Ethics at College Papers
Mike Burley, Photographer
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Dubuque | IA | USA | Posted: 11:07 PM on 09.10.11 |
->> Before anyone reads into this too much, its unrelated and was not prompted by any other threads concerning ethics. Just a coincidence.
I'll just say some time this week I was at an unnamed D1 football game and two students, working for the student paper, were hooting and hollering, gesturing to a crowd in an attempt to get a reaction out of them for a somewhat average photo. I thought this was a bit weird since all they had to do was turn around in any direction and they'd see people foaming at the mouth. To put things into perspective, the entire stadium had emptied onto the field for a 20 minute photo-gasm. Nope, they wanted students pointing #1 and looking into the lens.. I just don't get it. The game was a huge upset, and there was enough crowd reaction to illustrate the entire spectrum of human emotion. I probably shouldn't have, but I asked one of the photographers what the hell he/she was doing. He/she responded, "why cant I, whats wrong with that?!". He/she seemed upset I asked. Just left me dumbfounded and speechless. I finally responded, "uhhh.. its unethical. You cant stage photos if you ever expect to work for a credible news organization.. and sports is news."
This summer we had an intern applicant (senior) that had a blank stare on his/her face when I asked about his/her view on ethics in journalism. Pretty much it was like I had just asked what the first step would be in building a perpetual motion device. No idea what I was talking about. I elaborated and gave an example. "You're shooting so and so, not getting what you need. You're in a hurry. What do you do?". I'll just say he/she failed.. miserably.
So whats the deal? I know at hardcore PJ schools its being pounded into their brain from early on. Are most schools talking about ethics at all? I seriously feel like making a phone call to the school's head of journalism, but I don't want to single anyone out. Any thoughts? |
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Patrick Fallon, Photographer, Assistant
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Houston | Texas | USA | Posted: 11:14 PM on 09.10.11 |
->> "I know at hardcore PJ schools its being pounded into their brain from early on."
Exactly, not just from teachers - but from other students and student editors looking out for each other and teaching the young.
And yes, you should make that call. Hearing this now is much better than hearing about it when applying for a job or working as a professional. |
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Scott Serio, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Colora | MD | USA | Posted: 11:30 PM on 09.10.11 |
| ->> There isn't really any gray area in this one. It should be pounded into every photojournalists head. You document, you chronicle and you tell a story with your image - YOU DON'T MANUFACTURE IMAGES. Anyone who does needs to have their card pulled immediately. First, because it is wrong. Second, because people see that stuff and think ALL OF US influence our photos all the time and just don't be that the images are true. |
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Jeff Gammons, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Niceville | Fl | USA | Posted: 12:21 AM on 09.11.11 |
| ->> I know at my university this is a rampant issue. I do not shoot for the school paper for many reasons, this being one. If you think ethics is bad in today's professional world, think about all the current students learning the wrong way to do things that will be there in the next four years or so. |
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Nic Coury, Photographer
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Monterey | CA | | Posted: 12:47 AM on 09.11.11 |
->> I took both media ethics and media law in my program (Journalism class of '06 at California Polyechnic, San Luis Obispo) and both were two classes that stick very close to my brain in terms of what I retained.
Ethics is important stuff not to be taken lightly and I see other media photgs at events, people I know and work with in the local photo community, trying to prompt athletes, celebs, whomever, by calling them and such to get a good photo and it's like, "Uhh, why?" |
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Mike Burley, Photographer
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Dubuque | IA | USA | Posted: 12:55 AM on 09.11.11 |
| ->> Truth is stranger than whatever fiction my little brain could ever think up. Not sure why anyone ever walks down that road. |
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Brad Tollefson, Student/Intern, Photo Editor
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Lubbock | TX | USA | Posted: 12:57 AM on 09.11.11 |
->> Firstly, I understand the reasoning for the shot, but I disagree with the execution completely. The crowd will already react to the camera as is. They've been "trained" to do so. I personally prefer to get more of shot showing the exact emotion shown from the game.
As for the ethics of my peers, I believe there is a extreme lack of ethics, or more so an ignorance of the topic altogether. However, I will always stand up for my staff and it's ethics. Having been sure to let them know if they go beyond anything on the NPPA code that they will be let go. Hopefully doing so I will help further a generation of educated photographers.
-Brad |
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Nic Coury, Photographer
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Monterey | CA | | Posted: 2:51 AM on 09.11.11 |
->> At Mike:
" Truth is stranger than whatever fiction my little brain could ever think up."
Didn't Hunter S. Thompson say something along those lines... |
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Kent Nishimura, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Honolulu | HI | USA | Posted: 4:14 AM on 09.11.11 |
->> i dont go to a hardcore pj school, but i was fortunate enuff to have veteran shooters working for daily newspapers give me advice along the way, about what is ethical and what isn't. Not to mention they'd put me in my place when it needed to be done.
and Mike, you were one of them.
Thank you so much. mahalo braddah. |
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