Law and Order: The Ethics of Photography

First Amendment of the United States of America:

" 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."

Let it be known that all we do as journalists is to shed light or darkness on specific topics. In journalism, or communications, it is more than important to figure out what direction you take your stories. Do you plan to highlight a forgotten topic, or spin a story that was watered down to showcase the darker tones that were left out? Our visual storytelling reflects our own ethical path, and within that, ethics and law become our morals and our lamps to guide our way.

Based on “The Photographer’s Rights”, the general rule is “…anyone may take photographs of whatever they want when they are in a public place or places where they have permission to take photographs”. That means that accidents, fire scenes, children, celebrities, buildings, bridges, transportation and criminal activity are almost always allowed to be photographed in public places. That does not mean that you can jump over gates into private areas to get a picture. You can question others in a public place but understand that persistent attitudes and pushy questions on someone who may not want all that attention can result in harassment charges. Always know your rights as a photographer and know how you can protect yourself in the event of law involvement.

Credibility is a determining factor when it comes to who looks at your work. If you tend to twist stories into lies or exaggerate them, your credibility will go down, as well as the trust factor audience places within you. Your credibility makes or breaks you. It can also shape what form of journalism you practice. If you get popular for doing a story on one specific topic like crime, then many will most likely turn to you for crime updates, even if you prefer to write about environmental changes. But, do not allow your strive for credibility and popularity pressure you. Pressure causes a lot of people to switch their ethical path. There will always be pressure regardless of what field you go into or what your major in college is, but it is important to learn to work through pressure and switch it into your advantage. Those that can conquer pressure will make better ethical choice and won’t fall into the wrong stride. They’ll be able to deal with what is thrown at them without so much as a flinch.

So, what ethical paths are taken? What philosophies should you follow? What shouldn’t you do? Our ethical framework guides our decisions and reflects our moral compass. It is essential telling us which way to turn in the upcoming fork in the road. You should watch out for businesses and political involvements that could sway your independence and highlight you as someone more for one side than the other. You shouldn’t stage scenes you missed just to get the story, or photoshop, or anything that could potentially hurt others. Especially with the chance of getting caught, because back to the credibility part, that will ultimately result in a bad rating for you. You should always be a proactive thinker and have an idea of how you want to showcase and highlight a specific topic. Walk into a scene with the mental of, “I’m going to shoot this part because it will showcase the focal point in a better light”. Lead by example and high standards, keep a respectful and humble nature, and always strive for excellence and influence.