DHUM 25A28 - MEDIA AND NARRATIVE CENTER - ETHICS AND PHOTOJOURNALISM

OBJECTIFS DU COURS / COURSE GOALS This workshop of 24 hours (2 hours per week) aims at understanding how photojournalism contributes to the news landscape and how images shape our comprehension of current affairs and history. The course will look at images from contemporary events as well as studying the history of photojournalism and its different fields of engagement in order to give context for its role today. The course will also focus on how Artificial Intelligence is changing the game for the viewers as well as the professional photographers. Descriptif du cours / Course description Session 1 : Introduction: What Does It Mean to be an Ethical Photojournalist? What makes us an ethical photojournalist? Are there ways we should act while covering stories worldwide? Is it always appropriate to make an image or are there times when a conversation needs to happen first? What messages are we trying to convey through our photographs? How do we remain transparent and inclusive as photographers while working in the field? Readings and Viewings: SPJ Code of Ethics https://www.cjr.org/first_person/the_ethics_of_embedding_with_do-gooders.php Oscar Martínez 2016 IPFA acceptance speech http://www.poynter.org/2016/language-of-the-image-ethics-for-visual-media/400356/ Session 2 : Photographic language: What Words Should We Use to Define Our Work as Photojournalists? As photographers and journalists, the words we use to describe the people and issues we report on matter. What language is appropriate to adopt when speaking to and about the people in our images: subjects vs. collaborators, taking an image vs. making an image, etc.? How can we create a more inclusive environment while working in the field? How can our use of captions help shape a more fair and wide narrative about the topics we choose to cover? Readings and Viewings: http://www.poynter.org/2016/language-of-the-image-ethics-for-visual-media/400356/ Daniella Zalcman, Signs of Your Identity Andy Warhol, the relationship between subject and who is behind the camera: https://daily.jstor.org/glamour-the-gaze-and-warhols-screen-tests/ Session 3 : Consent & Confidentiality As visual storytellers, our approach to journalism expands beyond the use of words to explore topics that can at times be both complex and dangerous for the people we photograph. How do we manage and work with different levels of consent and confidentiality with our collaborators? In what ways can we protect the identity of at-risk communities through our images while creating work that is compelling and constructive? What is at stake in confidential source relationships? Readings and Viewings: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/11/opinion/the-news-we-kept-to-ourselves.html The Intercept Failed to Shield Its Confidential Source. Now it's Making Amends: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-intercept-failed-to-shield-its-confidential-source-now-its-making-amends/2017/07/11/9d41284a-65d8-11e7-8eb5-cbccc2e7bfbf_story.html?utm_term=.0e96d06c1661 Listen to Danah Boyd on why fake news is so easy to believe (in The Ezra Klein Show, Vox) Session 4 : Photographing and Reporting on Sexual Abuse and Trauma In journalism, photographers are often exposed to stories of violence and photographing people who have experienced abuse and trauma. How can we maintain both professionalism and humanity while working in such settings? What should photojournalists keep in mind when interviewing victims of trauma? How can we use our work as photographers to contextualise stories of abuse and craft narratives that go beyond the trauma experienced by our collaborators? Readings and Viewings: Nina Berman: How Photojournalists Cover Sexual Violence Against Women, New York Times, May 10, 2017: https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/how-photojournalists-cover-sexual-violence-against-women/ \https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2017/08/13/the-photo-from-charlottesville-that-will-define-this-moment-in-american-history/?utm_term=.518d2aab976b How the media deals with victims (CNN) Photographer Offers Glimpse At Disturbing Incident Of Domestic Violence ( The HuffPost) Session 5 : Stories of migration & refugees: crafting narratives that highlight the humanity of communities globally When it comes to headlines that flood newstands all over the world, how do we photograph communities in a way that portrays them as people and goes beyond facts and statistics? How can we respect people's anonymity while creating visually interesting images? When is it the right choice to decide not to publish a story? How can we maintain a professional relationship with our collaborators after the piece has been published? Guest Speaker: Danielle Villasana, Documentary Photographer (to be confirmed) Readings and Viewings: “Why The Language We Use to Talk About Refugees Matters so Much” (in The Washington Post) Magnus Wennman, Where Children Sleep: https://darbarnensover.aftonbladet.se/chapter/english-version/ Tanya Habjouqa, WhatsAPP: https://time.com/4272666/refugees-stories-whatsapp/ James Nachtwey, Za'atari: https://time.com/3399392/syrian-refugees-by-james-nachtwey/ Session 6 : What Images to Publish, What Stories to Tell? In today's era, how can we remain ethical when digital manipulation is prominent in both photography and video reporting? When working with marginalised or underrepresented communities, how do we avoid patronising or falling into other unethical approaches? What elements of a story and of people's identities should we remain aware of when deciding to pursue stories that can place our collaborators in harm's way? How can we foster meaningful relationships with editors to portray the people in our images with dignity and respect? Guest Speaker: Mallory Benedict, Editor at Apple (to be confirmed) Readings and Viewings: The Problem with World Press Photo's Contest Columbia Journalism Review, March 9, 2015: https://www.cjr.org/analysis/nina_berman.php Orlando massacre: 'It's scary how practiced we are at covering these mass shootings' (ABC) \https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2017/08/13/the-photo-from-charlottesville-that-will-define-this-moment-in-american-history/?utm_term=.518d2aab976b Session 7 : Working alongside writers: how to build effective relationships with journalists to create stories of impact Learning how to create and nurture honest relationships with writers in our field enables us to not only craft more in-depth narratives but also to work as a team on stories that require time and sensitivity. What conversations should be had between photojournalists and writers to maintain ethical strategies when working in collaboration? How can our images add meaning to written reporting while remaining true to the story? Guest Speaker: Sarah Stillman, Staff Writer at The New Yorker (to be confirmed) Readings and Viewings: Lynn Johnson and Elizabeth Krist, The Seed of an Idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aiufq04dp0 Session 8 : Ethics and safety: blackmail and bribery How can photojournalists protect themselves when working in countries like Mexico and China, where most documented threats to reporters come from government officials? When should we decide to continue reporting vs. adopting self-censorship? How do photojournalists make ethical choices when getting access to a community or getting agreement to publish a story means paying a bribe or dealing with blackmail? Readings and Viewings: “Fighting Blackmail: Khadija Ismayilova and Azerbaijan's First Family Case Study” (in Columbia Case Studies) So many journalists have been killed in Mexico this year that a newspaper is shutting down (The Washington Post) Session 9 : Journalism and diplomacy: coverage and collaborations Working with agencies and foundations around the world can allow photojournalists to enter and understand communities on a deeper and more personal level. How can photojournalism and diplomacy merge to craft narratives that are more truthfully representative of underreported and marginalized communities? How can we create collaborations with organisations and community leaders that allow us to maintain independence on the narratives we aim to uncover? How should we deal with both sides' biases and opinions, conscious and unconscious, to tell stories that are balanced and honest? Guest Speaker: Anael Barrau, UNESCO Haiti (to be confirmed) Readings and Viewings: Journalists shouldn't report on the contents of Macron's leaked documents, for democracy's sake (in Quartz) Oui, Journalists Should Report on Hacked Emails (in Politico) https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/08/world/cnnphotos-sexual-assault-haiti/ https://tooyoungtowed.org/main/index Session 10 : Photography as a tool for collaboration: using the camera to give collaborators an active voice in our stories What are the limits to collaborating with the people we photograph when working on stories? Should we approach personal projects and assignments with different ethical lenses? How much creative authority can we give to collaborators when striving to tell their own narratives? Readings and Viewings: Photography as a social practice: http://www.asocialpractice.com/about/ Diana Markosian, 1915: https://www.dianamarkosian.com/1915 Zaneli Muholi, South Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aiufq04dp0 Session 11 : Photographing across lines of difference: how our backgrounds shape our own reporting and approach to our work as journalists As journalists, we all come from different backgrounds, experiences and assumptions. These differences shape our own knowledge and curiosity about the stories we're drawn to and the ways in which we see. Yet, journalism encourages us to move beyond our familiar environments and document diverse lives and topics. What are the challenges and conversations photographers should identify when reporting across lines of class, religion, faith, etc.? What approaches seem to produce the most successful journalism over time? Readings and Viewings: Why Journalists Must Stop Segregating Stories About Race (Neiman Reports) Miami Herald Scolds Its Reporters for Attending the Women's March Session 12 : Artificial Intelligence: Its Impact on Viewers As Well As Professional Photographers What are the limits of artificial intelligence when it comes to photojournalism? When is it ethical to rely on Artificial Intelligence as a means of expanding our reach and impact as photographers and journalists? What aspects of this technology should be avoided to remain truthful to the narratives we report on? Readings and Viewings: Virtual reality: A new frontier in journalism ethics (in Poynter) Biographie enseignant / Biography Cristina BAUSSAN is a documentary photographer and writer who believes in the power of storytelling to transform inner lives. Drawing from her Haitian, Salvadoran, French, and American roots, her work focuses on social issues related to identity, youth culture, migration, and the relationships we forge with our closest environments. She holds a Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University in New York City, where she was a fellow of The Global Migration Program. Her work has been published in publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, The Associated Press, Patagonia and National Public Radio.

Cristina BAUSSAN

Séminaire

English

Spring 2023-2024

Students will be graded based on: Class participation and attendance: 30% Discussion questions: 30% In-class debate: 40% Discussion question On week 6, half-way through the course, students will be asked to respond to a “discussion question” that explores a specific ethical question that has arised in their own reporting at Sciences Po and to come up with successful solutions and takeaways on how to navigate the situation. Responses will be 1,200-1,500 words and can include personal experiences or examples from assigned readings. Responses should be turned in the day before class. In-class debate Starting in week two, students will be placed into groups to prepare a presentation on that week's topic. The group will kick off the session with a debate that they will have prepared before-hand. The debate can include examples of ethical questions students have experienced in their own reporting or arguments from the assigned readings. Students will divide the group into two teams and one moderator. Both teams will have up to two minutes to defend their side of the argument, and the moderator will then give each team 30 seconds to ask questions to the opposing team. Each presentation can be no longer than ten minutes to allow time for a class discussion and questions.