As many college media outlets grapple with incorporating video into their bag of journalistic tools, we also grapple with the ethics of video storytelling. A great contribution to helping us deal with that question was added recently on the Newspaper Video Yahoo Group in the form of the Chicago Tribune’s video ethics policy. I asked Tom Van Dyke, Tribune photographer, if I could post the Tribune’s new video ethics policy on the blog, and he consented. Below the fold is the entire policy. Look at it, figure out what you need, and work it over for your own situation. I’ve also e-mailed Meg Theno, who wrote most of the policy in hopes of finding out more information.
The mission of the Chicago Tribune visual report is to bring accurate, truthful and compelling information to our readers through photography, video and other forms of multimedia.
The photography and video we offer our print and online readers must depict honest, uncontrived situations that accurately portray life in Chicago and around the globe. Tribune photographers, videographers and multimedia producers are journalists and always must adhere to our journalistic ethics. The underlying principle is that we must be honest in our visual reporting and faithful in how we convey that reporting to the reader. We don’t distort, we don’t try to deceive the reader.
When shooting photographs or video, it is acceptable to pose a portrait or compose a food illustration because those photos do not pretend to be spontaneous or documentary. It is unacceptable to ask a subject to act out for our cameras because those images would present a contrived, dishonest situation. Just as a made-up quote is unacceptable in Tribune writing, set-up images are unacceptable in Tribune photojournalism.
When editing photography, photo editors must consult with and question the photographers to bring out the most thorough and truthful account of each situation. Photo editors must select and crop photos while keeping in mind accuracy, clarity and storytelling elements. Adjustments of color or gray scale should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction. Alteration or enhancement that renders a photograph inaccurate or misleading is not permitted. In documentary, news, feature and sports photography, digital manipulation may be used only to improve technical quality.
When shooting or editing video or audio, words may not be inserted or rearranged so that the content misleads or changes the intent and context of the subject’s interview or actions. Reaction shots from either the interviewer or the subject may not be altered after the fact. Staging is prohibited. As with still photography, it is unacceptable to ask a subject to act out for our cameras because that video would present a contrived situation. Distortion of any type is improper. While we recognize there are differences in the story-telling techniques required for shooting and editing video, the mandate remains the same: Uphold the Tribune’s high standards for integrity and credibility. Therefore video should be governed by the same ethical practices as still photography.
To preserve our credibility, photo illustrations should be constructed so that they cannot be confused with documentary photos. Illustrations must be clearly labeled as such and should use documentary photos as source material only after consultation with photo department managers. When there is a disagreement about the use of a photo in an illustration, it will be submitted to a managing editor for resolution.
The power of our journalism lies in the fact that our reporting is perceived as a statement of truth. It is our intention to respect that premise and to preserve it. The growing use of multimedia by the Tribune will create challenges that may, on occasion, require reporters, photographers, videographers and editors to apply the principles embodied in these guidelines in new ways. We consider this the start of that conversation in our newsroom. In the meantime, decisions regarding application of these ethical guidelines to video and audio should be made in collaboration with supervising editors, just as they would in the case of photography
0 Comments on “ChiTrib video ethics policy”
Leave a Comment