Graphics Image in the Media Essay Example for Free

Graphics Image in the Media EssayThe intenseal portrayal of hostility, catastrophe and up to now death is in general essential to broadcast and print media. People are attracted to a gruesome but actual picture of feel and it is where the man draws its sense of honesty. A visual representation or picture normally has more effect than a broadcasted or published story. This is because its power to influence peck surpasses spoken or written words. The media industry is subjected to the unwanted but common principle of if it bleeds, it leads and is fatally attracted to the harsh journalism world where photographers, who produce brilliant construes of shameful and emotional moments, are the ones being acknowledged and awarded more. As a result, the broadcast and print media is faced with a dilemma of commercially promoting the industry by ineluctably sacrificing its ethical standard. Thus, viewers and readers tend to be offended and attracted to much(prenominal)(prenomin al) brilliantal representations of real life events at the same time. The common wants to learn and feel the caper behind an incident but refuse to accept and confront its awkward details. However, the power of the media to influence people with its graphical depiction of events entails a debt instrument. Media is bound by its liability to present to the familiar what it deserves to know. Graphic images in the media, as a representation of reality, should never cease to exist despite the controversies and objections. Media organizations are oftentimes assailed or criticized after airing or publishing a controversial graphic image that presents, for instance, a beat(p) person or grieving dupes of real-life events such as violence and calamities. Viewers and readers attack the editors and closely specifically the photographers for being apathetic or insensitive and for making the pain of the person(s) worse by displaying the picture. Nevertheless, the photographer responsible and his or her editor are both obliged to present reality as it truly happens. On the other hand, these media practitioners defend themselves by arguing that it is ignorant for kind-hearteds to require morbid enchantment with hostilities and calamities. It is just sad to note that these are the same critics who charge the media people for being insensitive and for taking benefit of the sufferings of others.The Boston Photographs No matter how gruesome, graphic images are commonly used and known to ignite more dramatic reactions from people than stories. According to Nora Ephron, disturbing pictures of any incidents occupy to be shown to the public either through broadcast or publication. The fact that such graphic images affect or move the feeling of the public is exactly what pictures should be which in turn make photojournalism much more powerful than print media. Ephrons bind titled The Boston Photographs talks ab verboten the honor and ethical justification of printing controversial graphic images. Ephron discussed the pictures of a rescue attempt, captured in consecutive manner that unfortunately went wrong. The Boston Photographs depicts a woman who was attempting to blend in out from her burning apartment building.However, while escaping and during her rescue, the woman fell to her death after her flats fire escape crumbled. The publication of the graphic images of the dead woman resulted into a lot of dispute from offended people who felt and reasoned that it was inappropriate and uncalled for to publish images of a dead person. However, despite the negative reactions and criticisms, Ephron confirm the publication of the photographs and reasoned that they were exemplary representation of reality that needs to be printed. Ephron is justified in promoting and fighting for the printing of the said pictures simply because of the fact that human accident and even death are major realities of life. Regardless of the dramatic intensity created by th e said graphic images and their alleged ethical violation, the public has the right wing to view the actual happenings of the real world including death. A lot of people were offended with the coming of the The Boston Photographs where in Ephron defended that death happens to be one of lifes main events. Again, it was just unfortunate to state that many people in our society usually let their emotions prevail and ignore the basic responsibility of the media to present the truth to the public. Ephron wrote about three arguable graphic images of a failed rescue attempt that were captured by Boston Herald Ameri squirt Newspaper photographer Stanley Forman. With the use of a motor driven camera, Forman was able to take three frames per second of the famous Fire on Marlborough Street on July 22, 1975. The first graphic image pictured a fireman who is trying to rescue a woman and a child. A collapsing fire escape was shown on the second graphic image. The last graphic image was the most c ontroversial as it showed how the rescue attempt failed as the woman and her daughter fell from their apartment window resulting in the woman dying on the spot while her daughter survived as she landed on her mothers body. Criticizing from the graphic images of the helpless victims alone, it can be ethically challenged that such gruesome pictures were used and published to gain commercial prominence or profit. A critic can even argue that the pictures were not representations of reality as they were captured with the primary intention of getting ones attention. However, Ephron was able to make her article very easy to be understood. Ephron succeeded in presenting all the components of the incident.She initially told about the details of the peculiar(prenominal) fire accidents. She continued by presenting how the readers reacted to the graphic image. Ephron further presented another angle when she dis shut outd the views as well as reactions of the newspaper editors. Citing a partic ular example, Ephron excessively included in her article how former managing editor of the Washington Star explained his personal view about publishing the three graphic images. In whole, the Ephron article was able to justify the existence and utilization of graphic images by the media industry by defending its necessity and importance in reminding people that such reality happen in everyday life.9/11 Terrorist Attacks Aside from the famous Forman fire photo, another incident in the American history that was vividly presented in a lot of graphic images was the events of September 11. According to the news article by Jim Rutenberg and Felicity Barringer, the news producers had a difficult time sorting out the graphic images taken after the attack on the World Trace halfway on September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, in her article from the Christian Science Monitor, Susan rifle cited Moeller who said that the controversies and arguments about the graphic images of tragic incidents such as the September 11 terrorist attacks resulted from the public notion that the media is using such gruesome pictures for commercial purposes.These merchandise strategies are used primarily to gain profit such as to grab the peoples attention, lure the readers to buy the publication and prevent the viewers to switch their channels. Moeller, a professor of media and international affairs at the University of Maryland, adds even when the public is distressed by difficult images, if that news outlet is transparent about its reasons for running those pictures there has generally been very little outcry and protest, and often support for that ethical decision. (qtd. in Leach). The previous article also stated that one important component in justifying and deciding how the media uses graphic images of a tragic event is the nearness of the incident. Moeller further explained that if something is geographically distant and psychologically distant as well with no close emotional ties to the ar ea, then the home media is a lot more likely to use graphic images. One particular example is the coverage of the Madrid bombard incident as an aftermath of the September 11 US attacks. Moeller commented on how reserved the British media were, just like the American media when it covered and presented the 9/11 incident. In other words, they really didnt show body parts, Moeller noted (qtd. in Leach). In contrast, a comprehensive coverage of the collapse of the World Trade Center was depicted in a lot and more graphic images outside the U.S. According to editor Naureckas, the worldwide audience of the 9/11 attacks did not need to receive a discreet graphic images of falling pieces of the twin towers and carnage of thousands of people in order to be updated of the event. Rather, the use of more vivid and even gruesome pictures is necessary for other people to feel the pain and sympathize with the American people (qtd. in Leach). To cite an an example, Naureckas said if you were in an other expanse where people who live in New York might be an abstraction, then seeing the actual person jumping out the window might have brought you closer to the event (qtd. in Leach).Limitations As stated earlier, the use of graphic images in the media is a privilege but it requires responsibility. Thus, it has to have some limitations. Effective limitations and conditions can be considered an otherwise absolute interpretation of freedom of the press. The restriction, editing, or censorship of graphic images (especially gruesome and controversial pictures) may be done by an free-living body that governs and has authority over the media industry or it can start from the media organization itself by depending on the fair, critical and objective wisdom and judgment of its direction as well as editors. In doing so, concerns whether graphic images in the media should be aired or not, or print or not can be addressed. Ethical behavior may be in accordance with standards put up by th e media organizations. These standards may be useful but usually swooning thus they cannot anticipate any eventuality. Citing as an example is the Code of Ethics that media members generally follow. However, it fails particularly identify gruesome situations as depicted by graphic images. Generally, the Code of Ethics includes a provision where photographers should at all times maintain the gameyest standards of ethical conduct. Photojournalism is worthy of the very best thought and effort, and members should maintain high standards of ethical conduct (qtd. in Lester). The issue of ethical standards, in the media in line with its choice to use graphic images, was what The Post freelance columnist pass Clooney emphasized in his column titled Media should use ethics standards. According to Clooney, it is the responsibility of the media to abide with a set of ethical standards. He added that the moral guidelines should breathe out and practiced within the industry and thus should n ot be violated by his colleagues. In citing a particular case that called for the setting of ethical standards in the media, Clooney mentioned the publishing of a tabloid of a picture of a rape trial victim which he said violated the secretiveness of that person.Clooney stressed that such instance of showing a graphic image by print media made him angry. This is because such sensationalism by what he called the news quacks or the scandal-mongers and entertainers comprise as journalist violated not only ones privacy but the moral standing of the media. Clooney was not at all opposed to the use of graphic image in the media but rather concern that there is still a need for ethical standards that will guide and uphold the dignity of the media profession. Finally, Clooney did not give up the situation as he hoped that news media people will have sufficient ethical or moral standards and regard to the privacy of the public (Clooney). In addressing conditions and graphic images of event s and calamity victims, media practitioners are faced with the dilemma or arguments whether to capture and publish the picture or not (Lester). According to Lester and from the deal presented, media should generally expect that the public is inclined to criticize a controversial graphic image if some conditions are present. These include the following conditions if it was taken by a staff photographer if it comes from a local story if the image is printed in color if the image is printed in a morning paper if the image is printed on the front page if it has no story accompaniment if it shows people overcome with grief if it shows the victims body if the body is physically traumatized if the victim is a child and if nudity is involved. Taking into consideration the said limitations, it can be resolved that the use of graphic images in the media is essential but not absolutely free. These limitations are proven useful in order not to be hit by possible firestorms or reactions coming from the offended public (Lester).Conclusion A picture, indeed, is worth a thousand words. However, no one can ever determine how much history account, feeling, idea, and gut wrenching result some images are worth or can interpret. While the use of graphic images in the media is necessary and critically important in conveying a message or even replacing a whole story, broadcast and print journalists are still bound by a sense of responsibility. Media has the obligation to be sensitive and conscious to the possible negative effects of using gruesome graphic images. Thus, certain limitations have to be in place. However and most importantly, media is still obligated to present the truth even to the extent of painfully showing the realities of life.Works CitedSophronia, Nora. The Boston Photographs. Envision Persuasive Writing in a Visual World.Ed. Alfano, Christine and Alyssa OBrien. New York Longman Publishers, 2005.Leach, Susan Llewelyn. How to tell story of the dead without offend ing the living. The Christian Science Monitor. 19 January 2005. www.csmonitor.comLester, Paul Martin, Photojournalism An Ethical Approach. 1999. College of Communications, California State University, Fullerton. 24 bunt 2008 http//commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/chapter4.htmlRutenberg, Jim and Felicity Barringer. After the Attacks the Ethics News Media Try to Sortout Policy on Graphic Images. The New York Times. 25 March 2008http//query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE2DE1038F930A2575AC0A9679C8B63