Ethics question in sports photojournalism

[skieur]

It depends on the size of the paper. On some local papers the photographer may also be writing the article and editing his/her own photos.

skieur

 

[sportsphotographer]

..you mean the ones that feature his/her kid in every sports shot? (ducking and spell checking hahah)

 

[AceCo55]

Thank you all for the replies and the insight into this ... although it may look like I had abandoned this thread, it is all due to different time zones. I have just got home from work. I will definitely look up that link TonyS.

The_Traveler: "the links in the OP are to the same site and neither link works." Hmmm not sure what is happening there ... I just tried both and they both worked.

I am pleased, and re-assured, to see that there are ethical considerations to sports photojournalism - it means I can truly say "Wow!", when I see a great shot.

OK ... just saw in sports section of our major newspaper where they did a cutout of two players vying to catch a ball (Australian Rules Football). Is this acceptable because everyone can see the intent of the editor? Or is it not OK because it has removed the background scene and therefore is "out of context". Or is it not OK only if the removal of the rest of the scene is done to deliberately give a more favourable view . Not sure in this case where it is OK and where it is not in cases like this.
Once again, thankyou you so much for your wealth of knowledge.

 

[imagemaker46]

Thank you all for the replies and the insight into this ... although it may look like I had abandoned this thread, it is all due to different time zones. I have just got home from work. I will definitely look up that link TonyS.

The_Traveler: "the links in the OP are to the same site and neither link works." Hmmm not sure what is happening there ... I just tried both and they both worked.

I am pleased, and re-assured, to see that there are ethical considerations to sports photojournalism - it means I can truly say "Wow!", when I see a great shot.

OK ... just saw in sports section of our major newspaper where they did a cutout of two players vying to catch a ball (Australian Rules Football). Is this acceptable because everyone can see the intent of the editor? Or is it not OK because it has removed the background scene and therefore is "out of context". Or is it not OK only if the removal of the rest of the scene is done to deliberately give a more favourable view . Not sure in this case where it is OK and where it is not in cases like this.
Once again, thankyou you so much for your wealth of knowledge.

When photos have been cut and pasted or major changes have been made it should be labeled as a photo illustration. Anything is acceptable as long as it labeled the correct way. Photos used in newspapers that have just the photographers name should not have been physically alterted, alot of photos used in magazines most likely have had alot more physical work done to them.

 

[Hooligan Dan]

On a side note related to this conversation, I think a lot of you guys would be surprised how many papers, even large ones, the photog edits his/her own photos. When a person is listed as the "photo editor," it generally means that person is the head photog of the department(i.e. chief photographer like me) and not the person who is literally in charge of editing other photog's photos.

 

[imagemaker46]

On a side note related to this conversation, I think a lot of you guys would be surprised how many papers, even large ones, the photog edits his/her own photos. When a person is listed as the "photo editor," it generally means that person is the head photog of the department(i.e. chief photographer like me) and not the person who is literally in charge of editing other photog's photos.

Just a short addition. When deadlines are tight the photographers most often are travelling with their laptops and doing the edits and sending the images back from the shoot location. With cut backs at alot of papers the photographers are the only ones that touch the images, they are just dumped into the papers and picked by the picture desk, or the news editor.

 

[AnnieHuley]

I work at a small local paper and will echo that editor does not always literally mean the one who edits files. I always edit my own sports photos and write captions.

 

[AnnieHuley]

On a side note related to this conversation, I think a lot of you guys would be surprised how many papers, even large ones, the photog edits his/her own photos. When a person is listed as the "photo editor," it generally means that person is the head photog of the department(i.e. chief photographer like me) and not the person who is literally in charge of editing other photog's photos.

is this for a Daily paper? I thank God every day we are a weekly and not a daily... Can't imagine the constant deadline stress.

 

[Hooligan Dan]

On a side note related to this conversation, I think a lot of you guys would be surprised how many papers, even large ones, the photog edits his/her own photos. When a person is listed as the "photo editor," it generally means that person is the head photog of the department(i.e. chief photographer like me) and not the person who is literally in charge of editing other photog's photos.

is this for a Daily paper? I thank God every day we are a weekly and not a daily... Can't imagine the constant deadline stress.

Yep. Daily. And the deadline stress really isn't as bad as people think it is. It mostly applies to writes since they are the ones that need to have stories read and finalized before 6 with the editor leaves. With photos some assignments may not be until 8 or 9 at night, so deadline is much softer.

The real stress comes in when you've already had a full day and as you're getting ready leave someone decides to stab someone else in the streets. Or a building catches on fire. Or any other number of things that extend your day even longer. And as of two weeks ago we laid off my only weekday, part-time photog so I am the sole photographer. It makes for a lot of split shifts ad extra hours.

 

[imagemaker46]

On a side note related to this conversation, I think a lot of you guys would be surprised how many papers, even large ones, the photog edits his/her own photos. When a person is listed as the "photo editor," it generally means that person is the head photog of the department(i.e. chief photographer like me) and not the person who is literally in charge of editing other photog's photos.

is this for a Daily paper? I thank God every day we are a weekly and not a daily... Can't imagine the constant deadline stress.

Yep. Daily. And the deadline stress really isn't as bad as people think it is. It mostly applies to writes since they are the ones that need to have stories read and finalized before 6 with the editor leaves. With photos some assignments may not be until 8 or 9 at night, so deadline is much softer.

The real stress comes in when you've already had a full day and as you're getting ready leave someone decides to stab someone else in the streets. Or a building catches on fire. Or any other number of things that extend your day even longer. And as of two weeks ago we laid off my only weekday, part-time photog so I am the sole photographer. It makes for a lot of split shifts ad extra hours.

I saw that you work for a small circulation paper, but it still must be tough when they start making staff cuts and still expect the pictures to magically keep showing up at the same pace. It's happening everywhere, even the big wire services, Canadian Press, Reuters, Associated Press have been making cutbacks. I used to be a stringer for Reuters, shooting NHL hockey. Got to shoot one period of hockey, needed at least two good pictures, processed the film, scanned the negs and transmitted the images, all on deadline. I didn't find it really stressful, until I didn't have two good pictures and the first period was almost over. For those that don't understand how the newspaper business works, there is time during the day to shoot, deadline times affect assignments in the evening, and are different with each paper. Wire services work with deadlines as well, but then the time zones come into play and the deadline can be earlier in the day.

 

[sportsphotographer]

Insert curious and respectful tone here:

Dan, I've never worked/freelanced for anyone where my photos were edited by anyone else... then again in my 6th year (after a hiatus), so not very long... even waaay back in college days for the college paper we'd develop our own, wind our own... not that I'd remember how to do that anymore hahah...

Also.. thinking about it now... ...you know how a good editor teaches his/her writers to avoid the biggest routine errors so 1. the writer can grow 2. to keep editor's job simpler (they expect my writing to be as good as I can get it before hitting "send" even in breaking news stories)... so..why would I expect the photo editor to straighten/crop for me? mmm... I guess I'd not really thought that hard about it.. seems my rep would be on the line if I consistently sent in things that needed babying.... or am I misunderstanding? Thanks, looking forward to your take on the matter.

On a side note related to this conversation, I think a lot of you guys would be surprised how many papers, even large ones, the photog edits his/her own photos. When a person is listed as the "photo editor," it generally means that person is the head photog of the department(i.e. chief photographer like me) and not the person who is literally in charge of editing other photog's photos.

 

[Hooligan Dan]

The only place I've shot for that edited the photos for me was the NY Post. I think having someone else editing photos for you is a terrible idea, but some places are set up that way. From reading some of the comments here I got the impression that many people think an editor editing the photos instead of the photog is commonplace. I just wanted to clarify for people that that's not how it is in most cases.

 

[sportsphotographer]

thanks for answer - makes sense.

 

[AceCo55]

Thanks for giving me an insight into the workings of a newpaper and sports photographer. Very interesting and I am really enjoying finding out more.

Can I be bold and ask another question?

If you are the photographer and you are the only one that does the edit ... do you or somone else decide on the crop and final photo size? If the photographer does, how do you know what size and ratio to crop to? If it is someone else, do they ever "butcher" you image with a terrible crop decision that takes away the impact of your original submission? If so ... do you have any recourse or is it the editor's decision and you just have to live with it?

 

[Hooligan Dan]

The size of the photo is mostly dertermined by the copy desk person who lays out the pages. Generally a center package photo will have a larger play than other photos on the page. As far as cropping, I always crop my photos to a 2:3 ratio because that is what a full frame is and I shoot to fill the frame and crop as little as possible. The desk sometimes needs to change my crop a little for room but I discourage that as often as I can. Every once in a while they will crop an image ina way that negatively impacts the photo. They get an earfull if they do that.