Stereotypical Photojournalist

Ethical Map

Photo By: Reuters
Image Source: https://www.nationalstereotype.com/african-stereotypes/

Photo By: Reuters
Image Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203291/Children-raised-hate-America-Shocking-picture-boy-holding-gun-anti-US-riot-Lebanon.html

 Jannah Esa

Stereotypically a Photojournalist 

Ethics is the study of good and bad and right or wrong. However, there is no right or wrong when it comes to ethics, in other words, morals are personal. However, when it comes to photojournalism there is a standard ethical policy that should be followed. According to the National Press Photographers Associate (NPPA), photojournalist’s primary role is to “to report visually on the significant events and on the varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. As photojournalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images.” The photo’s that photojournalist capture are photos that exposes truths and connects people are the world. However, if these photos are not taken objectively, it can cause hard to the story being captured. According to the NPPA, photojournalists are to oblige by the following standard of ethics below:

Photojournalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work:

• Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
• Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
• Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.
• Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.
• While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
• Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
• Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
• Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
• Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.

In other words, honesty is the best policy. However, in photojournalism dishonesty can be a form of bias. According to Marriam-Webster, stereotyping is defined as a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. An individual's idea of reality, especially about foreign countries, is heavily influenced by the media. Photographs can heavily impact how people view other cultures and can either break or mold stereotypes about those countries. In photojournalism, the stories captured in images are sometimes very stereotypical. For example, Tailyr Irvine in an interview explains to cbc radio how stereotypical photos can be. “"The Kootenai and Salish Tribes got a settlement from the mismanagement of tribal funds and the photo they chose to use on the front page to represent the whole entire tribe was a woman who didn't have any teeth, and she was waving $100 bills in the air — that image infuriated me. The image didn't capture the complexity of the story, and instead presented her community as people who are irresponsible with money, Irvine said. She added that newspapers often rely on stereotypical images of Indigenous people wearing regalia or on horseback, even if it has nothing to do with the story.” Even award-winning photos are filled with stereotypes of people from other countries. According to Brooke Warren from Western Washington University, “When people only view photographs, as they do when they look at the galleries of award-winning images, they focus on the exotic and previously formed stereotypes that the pictures may reinforce” Photojournalism is meant to inform and tell a story, but these photos are not capturing truthful stories and are connecting people all over the world based on stereotypes.

This ethical issue is commonly seen in photo’s captured in Africa. There are many stories that can be captured in Africa but there is only one story that can be seen in the U.S headlines. The photos that Americans see are photos of dirty starving families, it is not apparent that this story is only in one part of Africa, nor is it apparent which part of Africa the stories being told. According to M Neelika Jayawardane in the article The Problem with Photojournalism and Africa, she states “That lack of critique is partly owing to the fact that photo narratives reference prevailing problematic, and often racist, views; even those with expensive educations that taught them to be critical, those who hold influential photo-editing positions at the world's most powerful news companies, still subscribe to these views, consciously or unconsciously.” The photojournalist and photo-editors are the ones telling Africa’s story. Racism is very much alive in America, and it shows in the stereotypical stories being told in the images captured by photojournalist.

I am a very honest person who accepts everyone for whom they are. I am not so much affected by stereotypes as I give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I am very open-minded person who aims for peace and justice in all situations. I am also extremely empathetic. As a photojournalist I would want to tell multiple stories, of all cultures. The role of photojournalism is to inform and tell a story, why do most of the stories from foreign countries tell sad, heart wrenching stories? Such as starvation in Africa, and Wars in the middle east. I would aim to tell the truth, the WHOLE truth. Many photojournalists may unconsciously show the world, what he or she thinks the world wants to see, and unconsciously, what the world see are stereotypes. As an African American, I have been subjected to many stereotypes, even within in my culture. Therefore, as a photojournalist I can easily put myself into a subject’s shoes, and critically think about the reality, objectively.