Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This question of the morality of the new photographer or reporter for not "helping" in some way seems to be big these days. I was watching a news piece about the coverage in the UK of the earthquake in Pakistan. There was an outcry, it seems, that the BBC crew who covered it was, in fact, immoral and preying on the victims by their coverage - exploiting their suffering. I find this a very disquieting argument because, in essence, it can be applied to almost anything. Stick in the word "exploit" and you're bound to get an emotional response devoid of anything like intellectual rigor. How can we know what is happening if there aren't photographers and reporters to cover it? As long as they are working to expose the situation as they see it - and they work to understand what is happening around them and remember to understand the people they are covering, then they must do their job least we never know. The argument about morality is not one I find easy to respect. Adam On 2/11/06, B. D. Colen <bdcolen@comcast.net> wrote: > What do you mean, "is it moral?" Are we all morally required to go to the > scene of disasters to 'help?' Of course not. The photographer or reporter > on > a scene is doing far more to 'help,' by bringing the event, disaster, to > the > world's attention, than people sitting at home questioning the morality of > photographing rather than 'helping.' ;-) > > > On 2/11/06 9:54 AM, "Douglas Sharp" <douglas.sharp@gmx.de> wrote: > > > And to have the guts and detachment to get the picture, instead of > > trying to help - is it moral? Probably not - Is it right? - Definitely, > > otherwise would know so much less about where the real problems are > > Douglas > > > > Craig Schroeder wrote: > > > >> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Like I said , it's far more important to be where these events > >>>> happen, otherwise you never have the opportunities to capture the > >>>> pictures. > >>>> > >>> > >>> I've always thought the phrase: "f8 and be there" summed this up rather > >>> nicely. > >>> > >>> Emanuel > >>> > >>> > >> At my age, it's, F-what and be where? > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Leica Users Group. > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >