. . . and other digital image altering tools.
If you’re not in the Toledo, Ohio-area or don’t have eye tuned into journalism, then you might have missed the stories about veteran Blade photographer Allan Detrich saying he mistakenly submitted a photograph that he altered. And, that image wound up in print.
Of course, manipulating an image to change history — even if only for aesthetics — is a sin in journalism. The Blade’s review of other photos Detrich submitted turned up many other images that he doctored. (For a good column on the subject, including Detrich’s comments after the Blade review, see here.)
I bring up the incident to raise a question: For those of us in media relations (including social media relations): What ethical guidelines should — or must? — we follow regarding photography we provide to media?
I’ve never had a reporter question the legitimacy and honesty of any image I’ve supplied. I assume that’s because there is a level of trust that reporters assume when they receive images from PR pros.
For the most part, the images I’ve supplied to the media have had little touching up. For the most part, the retouching has dealt with improving the contrast, lighting, and other work to make the image better looking; of a higher quality. For the most part, I believe I followed the guidelines of what Washington State U. has in its WSUWiki. (It’s a site I found within the last week, courtesy of a ToledoTalk.com member.)
I say, “for the most part” because I know I’ve never had total control over all of the images I’ve used before I used them. Sometimes they were used in ads. Sometimes in direct mail or on the Web. Before using any images, should I have checked for any altering before submitting them to the media?
Ultimately, as stated above, what ethical guidelines should the PR profession follow in submitting images to the media? What about our duty to clients or our employer to represent them as best we should?
In a black-and-white world, I know where I stand. Realistically, however, I’m a bit wobbly.
Thoughts?
– Mike
Image of The Serpent, by Guy Rowe
