What are the ethics behind photojournalism and a real life newspaper Essay

What are the ethics behind photojournalism and a real life newspaper decision to print or not to print a photograph - Essay Example â€Å"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 â€Å"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 â€Å"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 o f 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 â€Å"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. There have been many ethical theories proposed to serve as guidelines for the photojournalist and others regarding what types of images to display or not to display. There are six main theories that can, and should, be applied to photojournalism. These include the categorical imperative, utilitarianism, hedonism, the golden mean, the golden rule and the veil of ignorance. Categorical imperative, suggested by Immanuel Kant, refers to doing the right thing regardless of any extenuating