The objective of our third project is to analyze photos and determine what stories they have to tell. What is the underlying meaning? What is the message? We were to take four photos of people we didn't know and four photos of people we do know. It is important to make an ethical decision when choosing what to photograph. After reading Paul Martin Lester's article on privacy, I had a few thoughts of my own on the topic.
Many news stories would not be the same without photographs to back the information up or provide a visual aid. However, much consideration should be taken before photographing people in certain positions. It is interesting to see what goes on in the daily lives of people we may not personally know, but it becomes a different situation when we place ourselves in their shoes. My JMC 559, Media Law, professor gave a hypothetical example which displayed how a twisted story can come from one photo. Since it is perfectly legal to shoot a photo of activity occurring on private property as long as it is from a public location, a photographer decided to snap a picture of a famous sports player playing basketball in his yard with a few young children. The photo was then published along with a caption that hinted at the possible immoral things that he could be doing with children when he is inside the home. This often occurs with celebrities and can ruin their careers.
Personally, I was shocked when I read the section in Lester’s article about Roseanne Barr’s mother having a camera outside the window of her home and having to hide in order to avoid being taped. I believe that this definitely invades personal space and should be illegal. It really is a difficult call when it comes to photographing things of personal nature. One must decide whether it is ethical or in the best interest of the public for them to publish photos of touchy situations.
Can you guess which of the following people I know?
Want more guessing action? Try these!
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