The Impact of Information Technology on Photojournalism Essay

The Impact of Information Technology on Photojournalism - Essay Example Ethical values must be incorporated to information technology to make the photos more realistic. Identification of ethical issues of Impact of Information Technology on Photojournalism. Kenny Irby stated that photo journalism is the craft of employing photographic storytelling to document life (Quinn 2005). Jeremy Iggers states â€Å"Journalism's conversation about ethics has not changed all that much since the 1920s, but in the past decade, journalism itself has changed dramatically. The Cultural Revolution currently underway in America's newsrooms is making journalism's ethical conversation increasingly irrelevant (p. 75)†. A visiting French journalist toured the United States in the 1980s and commented that the wide variance between ethics talk and the practice of journalism led him to suspect that "ethics was implemented partly as a remedial procedure, partly as a public relations act, and partly as a way of escape goating the journalists, transferring onto the journalists’ all the blame for the media's negative actions. Generally, during the current century, the formal requirements for a meaningful discussion about the delicate topic of ethics hav e been set into motion. In theory, the journalists were professionals with a high degree of self- autonomy, and the newspaper had been formally pledged implement a job of public service. What may be ethically influential about the most recent changes in the print industry is that these entities of autonomy and accountability are systematically being disbanded. The changes incorporate the introduction of new technology that lessens the level of skill needed of the company press workers. Nicholas Burbules (2000) theorized â€Å"From recent popular films such as ‘The Net’ or ‘Enemy of the State,’ to countless news features in the media, there is a growing sense of awareness of the vast implications of digital technologies for traditional assumptions about privacy. The volume of information that is instantly recorded whenever one uses a credit card, travels the Internet, visits a hospital or pharmacy, files a tax return, rents a film on video tape, and so onâ €”information that can be accessed by authorized and unauthorized persons alike—has changed the speed and ease with which much of one's personal life and activities (including the circumstances of one's very body) can be recorded and observed by others (p. 121)†. The photo journalist has the ethical responsibility to deliver the facts, not the lies. Philip Seib (Seib, 1994) observes â€Å"Political journalism matters. That's not just a reporter's ego speaking. It's a hard fact about how the political system works. Politicians' words and deeds earn few votes unless the public knows about them. Issues may seem obscure and unimportant unless news stories explain their significance. And, from another perspective, candidates can learn much about the electorate by monitoring what news organizations report, especially local media (p. 1)†. Normally, during the election season, many candidates are bound to depend on news coverage to win the discriminating residentsâ⠂¬â„¢ votes. More than 100 million Americans visit the polls during the seasonal presidential election. In addition, many bus tours and whistle-stop train trips have their quaint appeal, and, as was the case for Bill Clinton in 1992, this kind of campaigning can enter into a mutually beneficial bond with voters and set the tone for a new government candidate. However, in-person campaigning will not get a candidate in touch with the massive number of voters the political figure wants in order win the elusive senate,