Amendment I – Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992)

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Under the First Amendment journalist are granted important and democratically vital rights. Along with these rights there are ethical and lawful guidelines put in place to regulate the essential job of truthfully reporting to and for the public. As a photojournalist you have the ability to capture many moments and stories with your camera, law and ethics make sure a photojournalist does this properly.

As a photojournalist you must be aware of where and when you are able to use your camera. For the most part no place is off limits to shoot, however, some locations require special permissions or additional restrictions. In general, public places like are free to shoot like streets, zoos, and universities. If no one objects you may also shoot private areas like cars, homes, and hotels. In some places there are restriction you must obey when shoot like at government building, museums, and high schools.  Finally, in some places you may only shoot with special permission some of these places include prisons, hospitals, and military bases.

I would consider my personal ethical foundation that of an Absolutist. This is an ethical stance that is for me extends personally, politically, and by extension journalistically. I believe the right of an individual outweighs the public good, even when it could possibly for a societal greater good. I am not against reporting on important issues, however, when using a subject’s personal hurt or tragedy as a warning or an example I believe human decency is at play. As a journalist we have the responsibility to share the thee truth with the public, but I believe the truth first belongs to a subject as long as it doesn’t directly conflict with the trust and safety of the general public.

The manipulation of photo used in journalism is a huge grievance to the job of truthful reporting. The altering of photos through photoshop and staging compromises the truth behind an original image. No matter how big or small an alteration is on a photo, it is not the original image and to present it as such would be misleading. Trust is the very life blood of a publication, and if the public is unable to have trust in what you are reporting there can be substantial ramifications.

When the job of a photojournalist comes into contact with the issue privacy, there are a certain amount of restrictions added by law. It is illegal to take pictures where privacy is reasonably expected. We often see this come into play with celebrities and paparazzi. You can’t use photos taken to unfairly embarrass someone or make them look bad. Photos taken also could not be used to promote products without the subjects consent.

#First Amendment, #pressfreedom, #journalismethics, #accountability