Worthy of Printing??

I found this assignment extremely difficult because as a journalist I had conflicting viewpoints with myself as a reader of a newspaper or magazine. My initial reaction to the photos was shock, disgust and sadness. Taking these emotions into consideration I had to evaluate what would be best if I were an editor deciding to publish these pictures or not.

1. When I read this question my immediate reaction was to turn to the Society of Professional Journalism Code of Ethics. The section titled "Minimize Harm" played a huge factor in my decision. I think that I would choose to only run the photo of the boy who had fallen on the fence and the Mardi Gras photo. Considering that the other four photos involved death or a portrayal of death, I figured it would be to emotional for the members of their family or those who loved them to have to continuously see their loved one in a paper. Yes, I included the boy and his dog, because as a child and for many adults losing a pet can be just as traumatizing as losing a human companion.
2. I referred to the SPJ Code of Ethics along with the list provided to us during lecture. Rules 6-9 played the most importance in my decision. If the rolls were reversed I would be heart-broken to have to sit through that day after day. The consequences of my actions could be life altering for some, depending on how their loved one passed. And, there are always alternatives, such as writing the perfect article so that no picture is necessary in order to portray what happened.
3. Again I would only chose to print the two, and I would only print them if their presence within the paper would impact the way a reader would view the story. If their presence was not necessary in order for the reader to understand the story, I probably would not use them.
4. If the events were local would consider not printing them at all. The fact that the very person within the picture who is being greatly affected, or portrayed in a negative light, could be within the town only makes the situation worse. The Mardi Gras picture would be traumatizing for the people in it because many would view them in a different light afterwards.
5. If the pictures were online only, they would probably carry slightly less of an impact. By being online readers would have to seek out the photos instead of them just being them when they get their morning paper. But, if they were online, they would also be able to be circulated forever, which makes that another thing to then consider. I would not print either of the two pictures on the front page because again their impact on the people in them would be more significant if they were on the front page. Often times many readers do not even venture past the first page or the main section of the paper. By strategically placing them in less popular spot you would be minimizing harm.
6. I struggled the most with the child who had fallen on the fence. This was the most difficult picture for me because my initial reaction was to be repulsed at the sight of the fence through the boy's mouth. If younger children were to see that, or friends of the boy, they could be seriously upset by the picture. Pictures that stir such strong emotions are difficult to decide whether they should be published because while they do have a strong impact on the reader, they also can cause emotions that are not pleasant for the reader.