Maizland 1 Lindsay Maizland
The Lenses of Truth: Photographers’ Moral Responsibility to Document
Injustice in Most Situations
A small fire burned as the sun rose in the East. Children wearing tattered shirts whispered to two older women who smiled as they tended the flames. They, members of a Tanzanian Bushmen tribe, seemed to share secrets, while I, an outsider with white skin and blonde hair, gazed on. Our skin color was not our only difference. My clothing was clean and new. My hair was long and combed. It was early morning and the family
should have been eating
breakfast, but there was no
food in sight. My family and I
ate before hiking to meet the
Bushmen and had snacks in
our van. Only words filled
their mouths, while uncomfortable silence filled ours. They lacked basic necessities that we take for granted: food, clothing and even shelter, as they lived in caves. It was impossible to feel comfortable; to them, we were symbols of wealth. To us, they were symbols of poverty.
My camera, large and obtrusive, hung around my neck. I wanted to document those people, but I hesitated because I intruded on their daily lives. Soon though, I began snapping pictures. I watched as the Bushmen patriarchs hunted for birds and snakes too small to feed the entire village, while the women and children were left to find their own sources of nutrition. I watched as the children asked t
heir mothers for food and as the men greedily devoured what little meat they could find. “How can I help these people?,” I questioned. My family and I ended up sharing some of our snacks, but when I view the pictures today, I feel deep remorse for not helping more.
Maizland 2
My guilt is not an isolated incident; it is a feeling that many photographers and photojournalists experience. They echo my question, “Should I help the victim or
document the moment with my camera?” Although many journalists and ethicists argue that photographers’ civil responsibilities should always surpass their professional assignments, in most circumstances, photographers must document societal injustice. Photojournalists fill a role that no other professionals fill – they document the often disturbing, but very real, truth and broadcast their findings to the world. This, in turn, promotes policy change and civilian service. In a sense, photojournalists indirectly help the victims of tragedy and immediate action should not be expected of them.  The Case of Kevin Carter
My personal experience is indeed representative of photographers’ inner
struggles, though my conflict was drastically less complicated than a professional photographer’s. Take Kevin Carter, for example, a photojournalist who shot a heart-wrenching photo of a starving, Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture. The photo, as seen above, was published in The New York Times in March 1993. Unsurprisingly, readers’ responses were widely varied. Some praised Carter for his effort, and others offered only harsh criticisms. Called the “true vulture” and described as “devoid of Kevin Carter’s photo (Krauss).
Maizland 3 humanity,” Carter was widely criticized for not carrying the child to the feeding shelter that she struggled toward (Cate). Carter responded to his critics and said:
It may be difficult for people to understand, but as a photojournalist, my first
instinct was to make the photograph. As soon as that job was done and the
child moved on, I felt completely devastated. I think I tried to pray; I tried to
talk to God to assure Him that if He got me out of this place I would change
my life (Krauss).
Carter followed his “instinct” and acted as a photographer rather than carrying the child to food. Carter’s critics strongly believed that Carter neglected his duties as a human being. A conflicted Carter commented to his friend, “I’m really, really sorry I didn’t pick the child up” (Cate). Soon after receiving a Pulitzer Prize for the photo in 1994, Carter committed suicide.
Despite the widespread criticism, several journalists praised Carter. Bob Steele, the director of the ethics program at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, explained the importance of photojournalists:
There were, ideally, lots of other people to give aid, medicines, care, but
nobody is going to replace the role of the journalist. The military, the aid
workers, the Red Cross--no one filled the role Kevin Carter did. He was the
one who got the message out to the rest of the world (Cate).
steeleCarter’s job was to take photos of the complete devastation; others, such as United Nations Food workers and the Red Cross, should have helped the child. In fact, as Steele explained, Carter effectively broadcasted the famine to the world by publishing the photo. Funds streamed in to help feed the hungry in Africa after Carter’s photo was displayed in The New York Times and after it received the Nobel Prize. Although he did not directly help the child, Carter’s efforts saved countless of Sudanese children’s lives.
Photojournalists’ Critics
Maizland 4 Carter’s critics and supporters illustrate that there seem to be two stances on the role of photographers in their environments: either photographers must always offer help to the victim and follow their duty as a human being, or photographers must always document the injustice and follow their professional duty. However, this is a false dichotomy; moral decisions are not that simple. As in
Carter’s case, his photo eventually saved many. It is wrong to call him “devoid of humanity.” He initially followed his professionally duty, and in doing so, fulfilled his duty as a human being.  Array Lewkowicz’s photo of domestic violence (Lewkowicz).
Earlier this year, a photojournalist faced similar criticisms after she documented domestic violence. Photojournalist Sara Naomi Lewkowicz spent several weeks chronicling the relationship between Maggie and Shane, an ex-convict, “while working on a project about the stigma associated with being an ex-convict” (Lewkowicz). Her project took an unexpected turn after Shane abused Maggie one evening. Lewkowicz captured the abuse, and the photos were published on Time Magazine’s “Lightbox.” Lewkowicz explained, “After I confirmed one of the housemates had called the police, I then continued to document the abuse – my instincts
as a photojournalist began kicking in” (Lewkowicz). The story received 1,860 online
comments, many of which criticized her and questioned why she did not stop the abuse. One commenter’s statement echoes many others: “What kind of person stands there and
Maizland 5 watches this happen?... This so-called photojournalist is an idiot who exploited Maggie and her children” (Lewkowicz).
Like Carter, Lewkowicz also followed her professional “instincts.” Her photos shed new light on the prominence of domestic violence in the United States, as “many people remain ignorant (or in denial) about the real state of domestic abuse in this country” (Roller). It is too soon to tell what the consequences of Lewkowicz’s photo series are, but there is a large possibility that increased publicity will lead to governmental and social change.
Critics continue to argue that photographers aim to profit from the victims’ circumstances and therefore “exploit” them. Another argument is that photographers are inhumane for not intervening, as seen in Kevin Carter’s case. Finally, photographers are scorned for being too preoccupied with their own lives and neglect helping others.  Code of Ethics
In order to help photojournalists decide whether to intervene or document, the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) composed a “Code of Ethics,” which is, “intended to promote the highest quality in all forms of visual journalism and to strengthen public confidence in the profession” (NPPA). One standard that is especially relevant to this debate is, “While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events” (NPPA). These standards are not absolute rules but rather are recommendations on how photographers should act. Keeping that in mind, the NPPA asserts that photographers should not take action in most situations. The last stan
dard in the Code of Ethics acknowledges the conflict between professional and moral obligations and states, “When confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the highest standards of the profession” (NPPA). Sometimes, though, it is

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