August 19, 2006
Photojournalism in Crisis
David D. Perlmutter in Editor and Publisher:
The Israeli-Hezbollah war has left many dead bodies, ruined towns, and wobbling politicians in its wake, but the media historian of the future may also count as one more victim the profession of photojournalism. In twenty years of researching and teaching about the art and trade and doing photo-documentary work, I have never witnessed or heard of such a wave of attacks on the people who take news pictures and on the basic premise that nonfiction news photo- and videography is possible.I'm not sure, however, if the craft I love is being murdered, committing suicide, or both.
As they say, read the whole thing.
It's not the craft, it's the craftiness.
Posted by: jay tel aviv at August 19, 2006 05:40 PMIt is good to see this reaction inside the world of reporters and journalists. I am sure they don't like the idea of being used as tools by an enemy loke a jihadist terrorist group - especially being used to disseminate lies. They are, after all, professionals. Professionals who hold freedom and truth as their highest values, as well.
Posted by: Jersey Dave at August 20, 2006 01:07 AMCY gets props (of a sort) from E&P. Outstanding.
What is disturbing about Perlmutter's piece is that he thinks it should somehow be painful for the journalism business to implement actual integrity.
The second, much more painful option, is to implement your ideals, the ones we still teach in journalism school...
Why should it be "painful", as he says, unless he believes there are some sort of valid conflicting goals here?
IMO, its only "painful" if you're a lying scumbag being forced down that path by a public weilding red hot pokers.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at August 20, 2006 12:18 PM
