Last week, some print editions of this newspaper carried a heart-rending report headlined “5 year old brings dying mother to hospital” with a blurb that read: “Even as cardiac arrest claims her, he dozes off beside her, unaware of the reality.” The online version of the story had a different headline: “Weary five-year-old falls asleep next to mother’s body in Hyderabad hospital.” The photograph of the boy in deep sleep next to his mother’s body was poignant and forced one to think about India’s public health infrastructure and the people it leaves behind.
Objections to photographs
Over the last five years, I have developed the skill to detect whether or not a photograph, or an illustration, would elicit some negative responses from readers. My antenna goes up when an image is cropped wrongly, or a frame is composed in a manner that does not uphold the values of journalism, or a picture is manipulated. In this case, I was not only moved by the picture but also felt that it served public interest. So, I was surprised when we got a mail questioning the wisdom of carrying the picture.
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A reader from the U.K., Mary Giltinane, wrote: “I read your sad story about the boy who fell asleep on his deceased mum’s hospital bed. While I do think it is worthwhile highlighting situations like this so funding may be appropriately directed, I am very shocked to see a photo of the deceased lady and wonder who consented to this photo being published. I do not feel it will be helpful to this boy to have had this incredibly sad moment photographed and published, and suggest with respect that the photo be removed straight away.”
Several rules govern the publication of a photograph. Kenneth Kobré, a photojournalist and author, wrote: “Photojournalism has no Bible, no rabbinical college, no Pope to define correct choices.” Photo editors generally wrestle with the questions of ethics, taste, and privacy before publishing a photo. The National Press Photographers Association succinctly described the role of visuals in journalism: “Photographic and video images can reveal great truths, expose wrongdoing and neglect, inspire hope and understanding and connect people around the globe through the language of visual understanding. Photographs can also cause great harm if they are callously intrusive or are manipulated.”
There are two strands that make up the ethical framework for photojournalism: institutional ethics and photographer-centric ethics. Daniel R. Bersak, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explained this element of simultaneous convergence and divergence: “The policies of a particular newspaper or magazine would fall under institutional ethics. For example, if a newspaper chooses not to publish an image for fear it is too graphic, that is an issue of institutional ethics or taste. Photographer-centric ethics have to do with photographers’ choices at the time news photos are captured up until the photos are handed off to an editor.”
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Depicting vulnerable people
An element that ties both institutional ethics and photographer-centric ethics is the way vulnerable people are viewed, photographed and displayed. Here, the ethical rule is unambiguous: “Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.”
The picture in question satisfies all the above conditions. The overriding consideration here was empathy. The picture did not undermine the dignity of either the boy or his deceased mother. It had the power to disturb us and force us to think about what ails our system. The story and the photograph also documented humane responses to a tragedy.
The opinion pages have become a de facto centre for media literacy. The weekly feature ‘Notebook’ in The Hindu has been documenting not just the trials and tribulations of reporters, but also how they deal with difficult situations. In framing an image, where does empathy end and intrusion of privacy begin? We do not have easy answers. The time has come for photo editors and photojournalists to share their experiences in dealing with some of the ethical dilemmas they face, and their professional challenges.
readerseditor@thehindu.co.in