I still remember the day when a picture grabbed my attention. Suddenly, my emotion found place in the photo and I felt that imagine was spoken directly to me. I could not believe that a freeze event in that small paper will change my thoughts about life. According with the article “Ethical limits in documentary photography” in Not Just a Document”, the author debates the photojournalism ethical code. The author explains how photojournalists first do their jobs, and some cases they intervene. Also, he/she describes one of the famous photograph taken by Kevin Carter in March 1993, Sudan who won the Pulitzer Award. The picture shows us a little girl bent over with hunger and vulture nearby. The author tells us how Carter was judged for waiting
…show more content…
Some photographs show people in need, those imagines kept in people’s mind and it is a way to tell society the world’s need. John Long Chairman of NPPA’s Ethics (National Press Photographers Association) says, “Those picture ran because we as a society could learn from them and make decisions for society” (qtd Bercovici 2). When people know that someone is in need, they will be sensitive or awareness to help anyone. For example, after Carter took the picture and published on the newspaper, people asked to newspaper about the girl’s conditions (“Ethical limits in documentary photography” 1), it was a way to widely condemn African children's living circumstances as well. They are some photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (Bercovici 2), made society consciousness about the situation. What could happen if those photography had not been published? Maybe some people could not have survived. For that reason, photos are tools to help spread the …show more content…
Carter was criticized for his shot because he did help the little girl (2), I admit that. However, document what is happening before intervene does not mean that photojournalists do not respect human rights. As the photojournalist Nick Ut recorded in the Vietnam War the famous photo of a girl running from a napalm attack, then he took her to the hospital (Bercovici 2). This is an example where the photojournalist first took the picture and then help her. I cannot generalize all photojournalist for their action. Long says, “It’s an honorable profession, but the values I bring to my job come from other sources” (qtd Bercovici 2). In other words, every professional or person has the right to help. The initiative to help come from the values that each person has not from the profession. So, if Carter did not help the girl and just took the picture who is going to blame him, those was his values or maybe he lose the sense of what is moral or not after witnessing the world’s worst human tragedies ( 3), who knows? In the other hand Nick Ut decided to help the girl after document what was happened in the moment. Those two examples show how every person acts in different way. It is not the matter if someone is photojournalists or not, it is the matter of the values of each person
Some photographs show people in need, those imagines kept in people’s mind and it is a way to tell society the world’s need. John Long Chairman of NPPA’s Ethics (National Press Photographers Association) says, “Those picture ran because we as a society could learn from them and make decisions for society” (qtd Bercovici 2). When people know that someone is in need, they will be sensitive or awareness to help anyone. For example, after Carter took the picture and published on the newspaper, people asked to newspaper about the girl’s conditions (“Ethical limits in documentary photography” 1), it was a way to widely condemn African children's living circumstances as well. They are some photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (Bercovici 2), made society consciousness about the situation. What could happen if those photography had not been published? Maybe some people could not have survived. For that reason, photos are tools to help spread the …show more content…
Carter was criticized for his shot because he did help the little girl (2), I admit that. However, document what is happening before intervene does not mean that photojournalists do not respect human rights. As the photojournalist Nick Ut recorded in the Vietnam War the famous photo of a girl running from a napalm attack, then he took her to the hospital (Bercovici 2). This is an example where the photojournalist first took the picture and then help her. I cannot generalize all photojournalist for their action. Long says, “It’s an honorable profession, but the values I bring to my job come from other sources” (qtd Bercovici 2). In other words, every professional or person has the right to help. The initiative to help come from the values that each person has not from the profession. So, if Carter did not help the girl and just took the picture who is going to blame him, those was his values or maybe he lose the sense of what is moral or not after witnessing the world’s worst human tragedies ( 3), who knows? In the other hand Nick Ut decided to help the girl after document what was happened in the moment. Those two examples show how every person acts in different way. It is not the matter if someone is photojournalists or not, it is the matter of the values of each person