Day 3: Ethics in Journalism and Images

Today we discussed ethics in journalism and did some activities relating to how ideas are communicated. I'm sure you could have a whole class on both of these topics. I am sure that people who run the media industry are very well educated on how to use visual images to send a message. At the very least, they would hire people who are. I think one of the powers of images is the ability to send a message that the viewer gets subliminally. People analyzing the photos might get the message on a conscious level, but even those who take the time to do that couldn't possibly do it for all the images coming at them. Here are some of the ideas that came from the Eye on Image-Making: Looking vs. Seeing article. -Angle we look at the photograph is important.
-How much space?
-Is it up close?
-Tonality and color. Is it dark or light?
-Colors used?
-Which way is the subject looking?
-Size relationships.
-Environment the photo was made in
-Historical, social and cultural environment.
-For example, many Americans probably go about their daily lives never questioning the basic premises of our social system, such as the value of hard work, the rewards of family life, the importance of obeying the law, and so forth. Ethics in journalism is obviously another huge topic. It seems to me that the free market system is probably not going to reward ethical journalism. The emphasis has to be on the money if the journalist depends on the marketplace to keep their job. The only way I can imagine having ethical journalism would be to have it subsidized by other parts of the newspaper or TV show. I think that's the way it was in the past at the networks, but as TV gets more competitive, I'm getting the feeling they no longer have that luxury. It's also harder for the public to worry about ethics in journalism if they are concerned with their own survival. I know that for myself, I can only stomach the news if my life is going okay. If I'm worried about my own job or future, I'm more likely to gravitate to escapism. So in the end, I think to have ethical journalism, I think you need a stable society with people who have the time to worry about such things.