ethics

Monday, June 12, 2006

Thanks to my omniscient stat tracker, I discovered today that both the IDA and IPS are loyal readers of my blog. I am much flattered, especially since IPS has actually archived my blog! Under two separate headings, no less: "Journo Blogs" and "May 5 Blogs" (May 6 being polling day). I assume they are admiring my layout. In any case my political views are my own (and subject to frequent wild fluctuations) and I don't think I've said anything potentially defamatory or anything that contravenes my contract, so whatever lah.

Anyway since my anonymity has been compromised (ah who am I kidding, they probably knew from the first), I guess there's no point using half-hearted and honestly cringeworthy euphemisms like "lunch-talkie-things". Or attempting to pass my blog off as apolitical by raving about Gucci sales and hiding behind a fluffy design that's starting to get on my nerves. So a new layout is in the pipeline (yes, again, I know). I'm on course now and bored out of my skull and I kind of miss the original blackandwhite frenchy wine layout. We'll see.

Ok, so ethics. Ethics is something I've never really thought about with regard to my job (or, for that matter, life in general) even though it's arguably one of the most ethically contentious professions, I suppose. But today I realised that a lot of the things I would do reflexively - I think, given that these are mostly hypothetical situations - may not really be considered ethical to a majority of reasonable people. And there are many situations that don't necessarily have a clear right/wrong approach but what you would do in them really makes you think about the kind of person you are.

If you were a news photographer, for example. (All my examples are for photographers cos that's the context I discussed them in today.) What would you do in the following cases:


  1. You've been assigned to take a photo of some big shot unveiling some massive statue that flashes bright lights when the covering is pulled off. You arrive late, or you didn't get a clear shot, and you really wish they could do it again so you can shoot from a better angle this time. Do you ask them to restage the unveiling for you?

  2. You've been assigned to take photos of the carnage and devastation and general hell on earth in a war-torn country, say Iraq. You're walking around with your camera one day and you see a child pick up a gun that's lying on the ground and point it at another child. You know that's front-page-material shot but you fumble trying to get your camera out or your camera doesn't have film (or battery, for the technological pedants using digital SLRs) and you miss your moment when the child puts the gun down again. Do you ask the child to pick up the gun - or put it back in his hand - and reenact the scene?

  3. You have this great shot of a very famous, stately guy doing something rare and stupid like a little dance in the middle of the road. You're congratulating yourself on the picture when you realise that, caught up in the moment, you didn't see the lamppost behind him and now in the photo it's sticking up from his head and spoiling the whole picture. Do you manipulate the shot to rub it out?

  4. You're taking a photo of a very old politician walking down from a fairly high platform and as you're clicking away, the banister he's leaning on gives way and he falls, from a height that could very possibly break his bones or give him a heart attack. As he's going down, do you (a) take the picture; (b) forgo the picture and try and break his fall; (c) take the picture first and then help him up to ease your conscience?

  5. Similar case: you've received a tip-off to follow a mob that's gotten hold of a guy they're going to lynch. It's the latest in a series of racially-motivated cases in a highly-charged environment but all the previous killings have been very hush-hush and this is the first there will potentially be photographic evidence of. As they're beating him to death, do you (a) take the picture; (b) help the guy/go for help? I think this one cannot take picture first then help later cos he'd probably be dead by then.


I don't want to say what I would do because I think people would judge me based on that. Which is fair, but I don't want. Anyway, something to think about while I go off for my midnight drive. :)

 posted by zyn :: 11:25 PM :: 5 Comments :: permalink


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