Ethics in photojournalism

Abstract

This dissertation is a qualitative study of three Maltese editors of the three local daily newspapers, three press photographers working with these newspapers and three "readers". The study investigates the ethical considerations in choosing photographs for publication in the three Maltese daily newspapers, namely The Times, ln-Nazzjon, and L-Orizzont. The participants were shown five photographs and were asked to comment on the ethical issues in deciding whether or not to publish, or shoot in the case of the photographers, each particular photograph in local newspapers. Prior to the study, the editors were interviewed on the editorial policy regarding the use of photographs in their respective newspapers. This study is a first of its kind for the local print media and, to date, a history of photojournalism in Malta has not been charted. The study concludes that ethics in press photography depend on the context of the event and the context in which the photograph is used, what text accompanies the picture, and which page it is published in.