Ethical Decision Making Perspectives in Visual Communications

Ethical Decision Making Perspectives

in Visual Communications

What we are looking at are the decisions made by those who take photos/videos or the decisions made by those who decide to publish or share visuals.

In the past these decisions were primarily made by professional photographers, reporters or editors. Today with the rise of social media and citizen journalism, those ethical decisions are being made as well by everyday people. Like any editor, we might wonder:

What image should we take? What should we share?What is ethically right in this situation?

Presentation includes visual examples of ethical decisions made using these perspectives:

Categorical ImperativeUtilitarianismHedonismGolden MeanGolden RuleVeil of Ignorance

You’ll notice that one image may, in fact, illustrate more than one of the various ethical perspectives.

Categorical Imperative:

The categorical imperative according to Kant is an unconditional moral obligation that is binding in all circumstances and is not dependent on a person's inclination or purpose. This means unconditional without question; consistency is the key.

What does this mean for an editor, or photographer who decides on images to publish or share?

A journalist or photographer’s rule might be to take pictures whether or not they will be used by the newspaper. Here the rule would be--Photograph or film everything.

Examples: During terrorist attacks on World Trade Center photographers took pictures. Some ran in news reports but were later pulled because they were disturbing. A tabloid newspaper publishes every sensational image without question.

Key words: Take picture Regardless4

Ethical Perspective: Categorical Imperative

Categorical Imperative:

During attack on World Trade Center, photographers took pictures. Some ran in news reports but were later pulled.

This image of the falling man ran early on.

Later out of respect for the victim, it was not shown.

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Categorical Imperative

9/11 The Falling ManCategorical Imperative:

Unconditional

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In 2013, at the scene of the Boston Bombing many photographs were taken much more gruesome than this.

Later on some of the images had portions of the images obscured.The categorical imperative perspective would be to take all photos unconditionally.

In this photo by Ken McGagh, firefighter James Plourde carries injured woman from the scene.

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Live Coverage

Networks send out their reporters to experience effects of weather.

Categorical Imperative – be in the scene and have images taken.

Hurricane Hermine 2016 AP Photo/John Raoux

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Live Coverage

Citizen Journalists film on the streets and share footage.


Sammi Yatim shooting captured by Martin Baron on July 26, 2013 on the streets of Toronto. Baron shared the video online.

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Tabloid Coverage

Sensational content and gruesome images often appear in tabloids. There is often no filter.

The more sensational, the more the papers will sell.

Here the publication uses the Categorical Imperative perspective by publishing images of the dead. The image is published unconditionally.

Utilitarianism: Greater Good for the Greater Number

Established by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. The concept is the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Images that may be disturbing may be taken and used when their use has a potential positive outcome. Consequences are examined and the best choice is the one that does the greatest good.

For Example: A newspaper publishes a gruesome picture of drinking and driving with rationale that it may stop someone else from making the same mistake.

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Ethical Perspective: Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism:

Greater Good for the Greater Number

Example: An organization against drinking and driving uses a gruesome image in an ad with rationale that it may stop others from drinking and driving.

Example:Utilitarianism-Greater Good

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Ethical Perspective: Utilitarianism

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Utilitarianism

On July 26, 2013 Martin Baron came upon a confrontation between police and Sammi Yatim on the TTC. He took out his phone and captured the events.

Baron hesitated before posting the video online, but decided he had a responsibility to make it public.

His actions reflect the utilitarian perspective of considering the greater good.

Sarah McLachlan: 'I Can't Even Watch' My ASPCA

Commercials. The ads have generated over $30

million for the agency

Utilitarianism

Hedonism: Personal Gain/Pleasure

Hedonism is originally from Greek for pleasure. Aristippus student of Socrates believed one should maximize pleasure and not worry about future. Pleasure for him was intellectual, unlike today's meaning of eat drink and be merry.

Examples: Editor considers visual for aesthetic pleasure or editor considers a shocking visual that will increase attention or sales of the publication

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Ethical Perspective: Hedonism

Hedonism: Personal Gain/Pleasure


Example: Editor considers visual for aesthetic pleasure

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Here the marketer chooses to use the Birth of Venus painting to market Diesel. Personal Gain

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Hedonism

Tabloid Coverage

Yes, we have seen this image before.

Sensational content and gruesome images often appear in tabloids.

The more sensational, the more the papers will sell.

It is about “Personal Gain” for the publication - Hedonism

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HedonismPublishing a provocative front cover photo is an example of hedonism.

This cover is intentionally designed to provoke controversy and increase sales….. or

“Break the Internet”

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Hedonism?Publishing a provocative front page photo could be an example of hedonism.

Is this cover intentionally designed to provoke controversy and increase sales?

This photo on Rolling Stone of the Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnev was very controversial.

The picture was one that Dzhokhar posted of himself on social media. He looks young and innocent.

Golden Mean: A Compromise

Aristotle's golden mean refers to finding the middle ground- compromise, negotiation. Is there a less intrusive, offensive, or disagreeable photo that still tells the story?

Example: Editor faced with printing a gruesome image will instead print a less gruesome picture that still tells the story.

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Ethical Perspective: Golden Mean


Example: Editor faced with printing a gruesome image prints a less gruesome picture.

After the event pictures of planes hitting the World Trade Center were not shown but the pictures of the fire were still shown. Seeing damaged buildings is not as upsetting as seeing images of people dying.

Golden Mean- Compromise –Don’t show jumpers- show buildings21


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Choosing a less intrusive, offensive, or disagreeable photo that still tells the story, may be a better option.

The emphasis is on finding middle ground rather than an all-or-nothing approach.

This image of the Boston Bombing focuses on the Police aiding victims.

Golden Rule: Do Not Add to Another’s Grief

Love your neighbour as yourself- be as humane as possible and never harm with insensitive actions.

Examples: Photographer does not focus on mourners during funeral because it compounds grief. When including an image of a criminal in a family photo, blur the faces of the others.

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Ethical Perspective: Golden Rule

Golden Rule: Do Not Add to Another’s Grief

Example: Producer does not focus on mourners during funeral because it compounds grief

Do Not Add to Another’s Grief: Blur the faces; be kind, do no harm 24


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Golden RuleBe humane. Do not add to another’s grief. Treat subjects as you would want to be treated.

Yes, we’ve seen parts of this photo before.

This image of the Boston Bombing focuses on the Police aiding victims and obscures the face of the young child.

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Golden Rule

Be humane. Do not add to another’s grief.

ABC News used this image for the story “How Much Did Omar Mateen’s Wife Know?

Omar Mateen was the shooter at the Orlando Nightclub, Pulse that saw 49 people dead and 53 wounded.

Here, the wife’s face is shown but their baby’s face is blurred.

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Witness

Or

Official

Ethical Perspective

Moral Responsibility

Veil of Ignorance: Empathy

Put the shoe on the other foot. Consider all people equal, no one class better- is picture socially responsible? Are anyone's rights being violated? Does image meet needs of viewers? Is it aesthetically appealing? Is there empathy? Does the image cause unjustified harm?

John Jr. saluting at his father president John Kennedy’s funeral

Veil of Ignorance: Empathy28

Ethical Perspective: Veil of Ignorance

From Paul Martin Lester:

“Given a theory of visual communication that combines words and images in equally respectful ways, knowing the difference between aesthetics, etiquette, and ethics, and studying the moral philosophies that have been employed for specific communicative purposes, all visual analyses should answer the following questions:

• Does the taking and displaying of the picture fit the social responsibility of the professional involved?

• Has no one's rights been violated in the taking and displaying of the picture?

• Does the display of the image meet the needs of the viewers?

• Does the picture choice reflect moderation?

• Does the professional choice reflect empathy for the subject's experience?

• Could a professional justify the choice if she didn't know which of the parties (subject, shooter, or viewer) she would turn out to be?

• Does the visual message cause unjustified harm?” Source: http://paulmartinlester.info/writings/imageethic.html

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Ethical Perspectives

http://paulmartinlester.info/writings/imageethic.html

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Ethical Perspectives?

Now that you’ve looked at a number of examples, it’s time for you to now look at a few images and decide what ethical perspectives they might represent.

Remember that one image might represent more than one perspective.

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What Ethical Perspectives

might have been used here?

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2016 Black Lives Matter protest. Ieshia Evans faces police officers in riot gear. Photo by Jonathan Bachman

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Vietnam War Protest. AP journalist Malcolm Wilde Browne’s photo of elderly monk Thich Quang Duc setting himself on fire. June 10, 1963.

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Screen capture from video provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center, a child sits in an ambulance after being pulled out of a building hit by an airstrike, in Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.

35 Refugees in food line at refugee camp in Greece March 12, 2016. Photo: James Nachtwey, Time

36Prince George meets President Obama.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza April 22, 2016.

37Wildfire near Fort McMurray, Alberta May 7, 2016. The fire led to the evacuation of the city and

was the most costly disaster in Canadian history. (Photo: Mark Blinch/Reuters)

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