As part of my photography degree we are encourage to engage in discussions on online forums such as morals, sociological and legal issues in photography. This post will discuss the morality and ethics in reportage photography.
I had read an article on The Guardian: 'Viewer or Voyeur? The morality of reportage photography' (Mar 8 2010) [1] looking at the ethics of bearing witness to horrific events and where you drawn the line for what is accepted. In response I do believe that today's society is more desensitized to sensitive material such as Farah Abdl Warsameh's 'Stoned to Death' Associate Press photograph in Somalia (see below)
Dominating newspapers and press organizations are demanding more shocking imagery to show to the world which is pushing the boundaries of what is acceptably seen on the news. Today's generation is growing up in a world where globalization continues to grow and where technology and 'freedom of speech' have allowed reportage photography to be simultaneously sent through the world meaning in turn we are getting used to these 'shocking' images.
Regarding morality and ethics in response to Sean O’Hagans The Guardian post I do not think the photographer had prior communication to the victim or had been granted permission; to raise these concerns is absurd. War photography is gritty, violent and ultimately shocking due to the horrific acts of what humans do to each other; to fully sensor what really is happening is masking the truth and I believe photography is a mode of trying to tell the truth to an extent. To a point the viewer can feel shocked to a ‘kind of impassioned helplessness’ but for Susan Sontag to suggest that ‘we’ do not have the right to view a photograph, only those who can do something to alleviate it undermines the power of the average good-willed citizen; anyone can make a change. In this respect we are viewers.
I agree with this post: http://politicstheoryphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/on-ethics-of-representation-missing.html in response to Sean O’Hagan’s post and enjoy the tone it is written in.
What do you think?
References
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/mar/08/world-press-photo-sean-ohagan [Accessed 19/03/12]
Useful Links
Answers.com - Oxford Companion to the Photograph: Ethics and photography http://www.answers.com/topic/ethics-and-photography
Associated Press http://www.ap.org/
Associated Press http://www.ap.org/
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