Overview:
It is impossible to discuss journalism in the modern world without touching on the ethical dilemma that photojournalists run into. They are in the harshest conditions and bear witness to some of the most gruesome events that have ever occurred, and they must be impartial. The photojournalist must document, and not disrupt. Because in helping and intruding on the scene he or she is documenting, credibility is lost. The photojournalist is then undeniably tied to the event in such a way that a true, unbiased account of events is impossible. Not only do these men and women fall under criticism because of the their proximity to these events, but they also are caught in the vice of public opinion for simply doing their jobs.
Kevin Carter is an example of someone who felt the full force of the public after his famous picture was shown in the New York Times in 1993. Southern Sudan, ravaged by famine and war in the 80’s and 90’s, provided the western audience a rare peek into the horror of modern famine. This photo, shown below, is captivating because of its metaphorical value. The absence of a protective figure in Carter’s picture allows for a sense of guilt being instilled in the audience. There is no one to protect this young, fragile girl, so the viewer is forced to ask him or herself, “How can I help?” Their attention is then focused on the only person on the scene who can help the young girl: the photographer.
Carter’s famous photo of a starving girl, Sudan – 1993
Other images with similar subject matter were not received in a similar way when exposed to the public. James Nachtwey’s image of a starving child flanked by a woman in Somalia in 1994 was published in his famous book Inferno along with TIME magazine. It lacks the metaphorical value that Carter’s has, and does not have nearly as large of an effect.
Photo by James Nachtwey, Somalia 1994
The third image that I covered in my paper was taken by Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe. The picture is from Ethiopia in 1995, and features a young boy in his mother’s lap. The woman, reminiscent of the Mother Mary, cradles her child’s head while she looks down forlornly. The boy looks regal as his skeletal frame captures the viewers attention. His large eyes look even larger in his shrunken eye sockets. It is not this photo’s subject matter though, that captivated my attention. This photo, like Carter’s, won the Pulitizer Prize for Feature Photography in 1995. This fact alone puts it on par with Carter’s in terms of its exposure to the American general public.
Grossfeld’s award winning photo – Ethiopia, 1985
These photos only touch on the ethical dilemma that photojournalists face. They must expose these horrors to the world, while still staying impartial in the situation.