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Consequences Of Photojournalism

1869 Words8 Pages

Giving life for a shot or getting the shot of a lifetime?
Photojournalism life seen from different perspectives

Press photographers document stories as they happen. Regarded as real and truthful, they convince the viewers to believe what they see. This essay considers the consequences and impact of photojournalism on those involved – the photographer as an eyewitness, the subject as a victim and the audience being the spectator of traumatic reality.

To begin with, social objectives are the pivot for photojournalism in tragic events like wars in conflict zones, hunger, and disease outbreak or natural disasters. Furthermore, it shapes public views through heartbreaking stories that reach millions around the world. A photographer’s passion for capturing the absolute devastation and dedication to tell the world what happened is encouraging enough at the front line. The consequences of being a …show more content…

As per Sobchack, there are a few documentary gazes (helpless, endangered, interventionist, accidental and human stare) associated with the photographer’s reaction of witnessing death. Those stages connote the photographer’s behaviour, such as to feel without being involved, happened to be there, distant from the scene or participated and even endangered (Gaines and Renov, 1999: p.177). Professionalism places a borderline between personal humanity and empathy toward the subject’s pain, where crossing the line may impact the photographer’s professional practice and life. Although photojournalists physically witness a horror, interrogation could put them in danger. For instance, the aid offered to his subjects had affected Don McCullin’s photography profession (Mitchell, 2000: p9). Peter Arnet shared: “I could have prevented that immolation by rushing at him [Buddhist monk] and kicking the gasoline away. As a human being, I wanted to. As a reporter I couldn’t” (Arnet cited in Evans, 2003:

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