September 18, 2013

SLIDESHOW ETHICS, PHOTO EDITING, ETC.

SPJ CODE OF ETHICS

– Seek truth and report it– Minimize harm– Act independently– Be accountable

The Code is available in its entirety here: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

SPJ CODE OF ETHICS: SEEK TRUTH

– Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.

– Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.

– Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.

– Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.

– Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story.

SPJ CODE OF ETHICS: MINIMIZE HARM

– Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.

– Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.

– Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.

– Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.

FIRE IN BEIRUTREUTERS, AUGUST 2006

PHOTOSHOP ETHICS

“When you manipulate a photo it’s a visual lie. If you tell lies the public can’t trust you anymore.”

– John Long, former president of the National Press Photographers Association and retired Hartford Courant photographer

AP CODE OF ETHICS FOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS

AP pictures must always tell the truth. We do not alter or digitally manipulate the content of a photograph in any way.

The content of a photograph must not be altered in Photoshop or by any other means. No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph. The faces or identities of individuals must not be obscured by Photoshop or any other editing tool. Only retouching or the use of the cloning tool to eliminate dust on camera sensors and scratches on scanned negatives or scanned prints are acceptable.

AP CODE OF ETHICS FOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS

Minor adjustments in Photoshop are acceptable. These include cropping, dodging and burning, conversion into grayscale, and normal toning and color adjustments that should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction (analogous to the burning and dodging previously used in darkroom processing of images) and that restore the authentic nature of the photograph. Changes in density, contrast, color and saturation levels that substantially alter the original scene are not acceptable. Backgrounds should not be digitally blurred or eliminated by burning down or by aggressive toning. The removal of “red eye” from photographs is not permissible.

Except as described herein, we do not stage, pose or re-enact events. When we shoot video, environmental portraits, or photograph subjects in a studio care should be taken to avoid, misleading viewers to believe that the moment was spontaneously captured in the course of gathering the news. In the cases of portraits, fashion or home design illustrations, any intervention should be revealed in the caption and special instructions box so it can’t be mistaken as an attempt to deceive.

NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION

Code of Ethics

Visual journalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work:

– Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.– Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.– Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. – Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.– Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.

NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION

– While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.– Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.– Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.– Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.– Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.

OJ SIMPSON, JUNE 1994

SPJ CODE OF ETHICS

“Photo and video images tend to generate the most heated debates within newsrooms. And it’s clear that the ire of the public can easily be provoked by a single photo or a short piece of video.”

– Journalism Ethics: A Casebook of Professional Conduct for News Media

PHOTO ETHICS

PHOTO ETHICS

WHEN IN DOUBT…

Don’t.

Any editing or Photoshopping which alters the meaning of the original photo should be clearly labeled as a “news illustration” in the caption, so the viewer is given an opportunity to understand that the image has been altered by the news outlet. However, it’s best to avoid this altogether.

SLIDESHOW AUDIO

Soundslides requires an .mp3, the length of which determines the length of your slideshow.

Select, download and save an audio track from (or two, if you have commitment issues) for use in your project.

SLIDESHOW AUDIO

If the track you select isn’t the perfect length …

You can shorten audio tracks in a number of programs, including Garageband and Audacity (which we will use later in this class).

But if you are unfamiliar with these programs, http://mp3cut.net/ is a simple web-based program which can snip and fade in/out the audio track you selected.

Input: can be .mp3 or .wavOutput: .mp3, downloadable

SLIDESHOW UPLOADING

– Create a Dropbox account if you don’t already have one.

– Log in, create a Public folder titled the same as your project: publish_to_web

Copy those files and folders completely, without changing titles

– Once uploaded, copy the link of index.html (control+click); that link is your publicly available slideshow

TITLE SLIDE

Title slide:

– Create a jpg with powerpoint, lightbox or photoshop_ Creat a canvas that is the same height/length and proportion as your images

You can identify these numbers by opening an image in the program and reviewing the canvas size– Select a suitable image, or paint your canvas one color.

Think about contrast and readability. – Select a typeface and text color.

Think large and bold.– Use the text tool to insert the title (and subtitle, if necessary) of your project on the image. Give yourself a byline (such as: Photos and text by Chris Zach)– Save the image as a .jpg, for import in Soundslides.

END SLIDE

Credit/end slide

– Create a black, text-only credit slide with:Your Nameyouremail@luc.eduLoyola University Chicago, School of CommunicationTechnology for Journalists, Spring 2013